Matter Stories: Chris Castillo, Senior Equity Administrator

Tell us about yourself. (Where are you located, what is your career journey, and what brought you to this industry? )

I work remotely out of WI, but grew up in AZ. I started my career journey in equity administration as a client service manager on the vendor side in 2010. Being on the vendor side meant I worked as a service provider for multiple publicly traded companies helping with Restricted Stock releases, ESPP purchases, grants of stock options, etc. I grew my passion for equity compensation as soon as I started because it was so different from working in my prior job as a financial services representative, but familiar at the same time since I also worked with broker partners and was able to keep my FINRA licenses. Over time, I picked up more skills as an implementation manager and as an executive services specialist. I also gained more knowledge and earned my CEP, which is a professional certificate in my field obtained by taking three exams through Santa Clara University. I transitioned from the vendor side and to working on the issuer side as a stock plan administrator in 2019.

What excites you most about your role? 

I am excited to be in a role that allows me to problem solve and work collaboratively in a cross functional work environment. When I first considered joining the company through a friend's referral, I learned that it was in the midst of an IPO. I was excited about the prospect of contributing to the development and refinement of corporate policies, designs, and procedures right from the beginning. This aspect of the role truly appealed to me.". Secondly, while I work under the HR Total Rewards umbrella, I also get to work with the talented individuals out of the broader people teams. Furthermore, I get to work closely with cross functional teams in accounting, finance, payroll, legal, and even external vendors to help execute on equity plan related challenges.

Tell us about your biggest accomplishment or favorite project at Matterport? What was it, were there any challenges, and how was it successful?

My biggest accomplishment was the rollout of Matterport's ESPP plan. When I began as a new hire there was already a scheduled educational launch of our ESPP to all active US employees at Matterport prior to open enrollment. While stakeholders were gaining familiarity with administering equity and ESPP in a publicly traded company, I recognized the importance of dedicating time and patience to ensure everyone understood the best practices before our first open enrollment began. I  reviewed and created desktop procedures for both ESPP and our RSU equity plan to publish in our still work-in-progress intranet page where there was none available to employees.

Are you involved in any programs such as EMERGE, Matterport Cares, ERGs etc., if so why? What’s been a memorable experience?

Yes, I participated in EMERGE, Matterport Cares, and became a co-leader of the ADAPT ERG. I applied to be part of EMERGE because I thought it was a great way for me to get exposure to cross functional teams and present to leadership in a problem solving project that is outside my normal day to day function. I really enjoyed working with talented Matterport employees as well as the opportunity to offer a small yet company wide solution to leadership on a common corporate challenge of increasing employee engagement. For Matterport Cares, I volunteered with Suit Up, which is a non-profit organization designed to connect students with corporate volunteers. The team of students I co-mentored won first place prize on a presentation to Matterport leadership. Lastly, I applied to join as a co-leader of the ADAPT ERG which is focused on bringing awareness to people with disabilities. I helped shape our calendar theme to focus on physical and mental disabilities for 2024.

Do you have a favorite digital twin or a twin that resonates with you? Which is it and why?

Yes I remember vividly when I first did a virtual walkthrough of Abu Simbel Temple - I literally got goosebumps being able to experience a virtual visit to a place so ancient and maybe somewhere I would have never visited on my own in a lifetime.