Christopher
James
Christopher James is a finance professional with over
20 years of experience in fast-paced, high technology
manufacturing environments. His areas of
expertise include cost accounting, general accounting,
and financial planning. Mr. James is proficient
at developing accurate financial models and markedly
improving the accuracy and efficiency of planning,
reporting, and forecasting processes. With
his superior organizational skills, he is adept at
successfully managing financial operations throughout
challenging periods.
Since 2001, Mr. James has served as an independent
consultant providing financial services and interim
finance support to a variety of firms. His
recent projects include acting as part-time controller
for a start-up company in the San Francisco Bay area,
reinstalling general ledger and financial reporting
systems for a small multi-product manufacturing company,
and serving as interim controller for a manufacturing
company in San Antonio, Texas.
Previously, Mr. James was controller for KeraVision,
Inc. in Fremont, California, where he managed the
operational accounting area (accounts payable, credit
and collections, payroll, cost accounting, clinical
study accounting, and financial planning). His
achievements included developing a fully integrated
financial model of the company and providing projected
business scenarios. As acting vice president
of finance, he reduced the monthly cash loss from
$ 3.0M to $.4M in two months and managed the company
through the Chapter 11 process, sale of assets, and
transition to new owners.
At Silicon Graphics, Inc. in Mountain View, California,
Mr. James served as finance manager of the Customer
Support and Remanufactured Products Division. He
was responsible for management reporting, planning
and forecasting, inventory reserve analysis, and supervising
a staff of six to eight financial analysts. Mr.
James developed and implemented product line reporting
by geographic region, reduced the closing and reporting
cycle by three days, and led the division’s
finance organization through a major reorganization.
As acting controller for Cylink Wireless Communications
Division of P-Com Corporate in Campbell, California,
Mr. James successfully managed the consolidation of
Cylink Wireless Communications Division with the P-Com
core company, consolidating two discrete business
units with minimal interruption to the business. As
cost accounting manager for P-Com, he developed a
standard costing process for the manufacture/buy environment,
reduced month-end closing to three days, and implemented
a cycle count program.
Mr. James’s previous positions include manager
of cost accounting for the Microwave Communications
Division, Harris Corporation; finance business manager
for two divisions of Maxtor Corporation; and financial
analyst and cost accounting positions for a variety
of firms.
Education
M.B.A., Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
B.S. in Marketing, Central Connecticut State University,
New Britain, Connecticut
|