Jeffrey Solomon grew up in the 1970’s in the world famous San Fernando Valley.  After graduating from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, CA, he made the cross-country journey to Boston for his undergraduate studies.  While he was working on studies at Brandeis University, Jeff earned 3 Varsity Letters as a collegiate fencer and was part of the 1986 New England Championship team.  After receiving Bachelor of Arts Degree from Brandeis, a prestigious, small, liberal arts college located in Waltham, MA, he moved back to the West Coast to begin his career.

Finance Career

In 1999, Jeff changed careers and industries as he took on the newly formed role of Director of Finance & Administration for Facility Information Systems (FIS), a leading ERP software developer of corporate real estate facility management for both Fortune 500 and government clients.  The Director of Finance & Administration oversaw all of the finance & accounting functions, information technology (including a server room loaded with 20 servers and a beta version of Voice Over IP), human resources, and facilities (including a top of the line, fob-based entry and security system). During his tenure, FIS expanded exponentially (value increased 2 ½ times; US government became a client) as the CEO was freed to concentrate on corporate growth.

Following the collapse of the technology bubble, Jeff moved to another new industry, franchising.  As Controller for what is now known as Coverall of Mountain & Pacific, he oversaw all of finance & accounting, information technology and human resources.  During his tenure, many new challenges presented themselves and, each time, creative solutions were implemented.  Coverall used a proprietary software system to track and link customers and franchisees, but this system was not an accounting system that could produce financials.  Jeff re-engineered and streamlined the processes employed to take data from the proprietary system and load it into a financial software package that contained the full range of reports as well as budgeting tools in order to measure strategic progress.  He also installed upgraded technology to inter-connect Coverall’s five California locations.

In 2007, Jeff culminated four years of hard work taking night classes at California Lutheran University to earn his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA).  CLU is a highly-ranked business school located in Thousand Oaks, California.  His focus was on finance and executive management.

Starting in 2004, Jeff began a 7-year run with UPM Global (UPM), an entrepreneurial, manufacturing company that sold collectible sets and jewelry that used coins as its centerpiece.  Managing administration and operations for the company’s absentee ownership, Jeff was responsible for oversight of finance/accounting, information technology, human resources and facilities.  As a manufacturer, UPM was an inventory-based organization. As in the past, the hurdle of tackling perpetual inventory was easily accomplished and Jeff has mastered cost accounting. Also, he oversaw the upgrade of the computer infrastructure (new server and workstations) as well as the installation of a new accounting software package that improved the quality of reporting and measuring tools while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.  He implemented a safety program for the first time in company history that drastically reduced Workers’ Compensation insurance premiums. Through a conversion of the existing payroll system, he cut costs and reduced internal time spent on processing.

CFO On The Go

In 2011, Jeff left UPM to start his own CFO consulting practice using his multi-industry background, experience, and education to assist entrepreneurial, small business owners to tackle the challenges of operating in today’s challenging and ever-changing economic times.