Eric Kriss
Eric Arthur Kriss | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1949 California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate leader, government official, musician, instructor |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Known for | Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts, founding Bain Capital, CEO of MediVision and MediQual Systems, advocate for open document formats |
Eric Arthur Kriss (born 1949) is a prominent American corporate leader who held the position of Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts during Governor Mitt Romney's administration from 2003 to 2005. Earlier, he served as Assistant Secretary under Governor William Weld between 1991 and 1993.
Kriss played a pivotal role in establishing Bain Capital, founded and led MediVision, acted as CEO of MediQual Systems, and also created Workmode and Kriss Motors. Additionally, he has been an instructor at the Herbert Business School of the University of Miami.
Early life and education
Raised in California, Kriss completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1971. He further advanced his education by obtaining an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1979.
Musical career
In 1976, Kriss contributed piano performances to two tracks on Mike Bloomfield's album If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please, which he also produced; the album received a Grammy nomination.
During the mid-1970s, he initiated the instructional-book and record segment for Guitar Player magazine. That same year, he co-established Inner City Records, which was honored as Record Label of the Year in the 1979 International Jazz Critics Poll.
Throughout the 1970s, Kriss authored several instructional music publications including Beginning Blues Piano (1970), Barrelhouse and Boogie Piano (1973), and Six Blues-Roots Pianists (1973).
Business career
Kriss founded MediVision in 1983, serving as its CEO; the company operated a network specializing in eye surgery centers.
In 1984, he was instrumental in the founding of Bain Capital, which managed assets totaling roughly $180 billion by 2024.
From 1993 until 1998, Kriss led MediQual Systems as CEO, a healthcare information technology firm later acquired by Cardinal Health.
He launched Workmode, a web development enterprise, in 1998.
By 2010, Kriss was appointed the inaugural entrepreneur-in-residence at the Herbert Business School of the University of Miami, where he mentored students and supported business plan development. Concurrently, he established Kriss Motors, focusing on automobile construction and restoration, including converting certain vehicles from internal combustion engines to electric propulsion.
Political career
Kriss held the role of Assistant Secretary of Administration and Finance for Massachusetts under Governor William Weld from January 1991 through February 1993. Later, he served as Secretary of Administration and Finance from January 2003 to October 2005 during Governor Mitt Romney's tenure.
Municipal turnarounds
In September 1991, responding to Governor Weld’s emergency request, the Massachusetts legislature authorized appointing a state receiver to oversee the financially insolvent City of Chelsea, Massachusetts. This marked Massachusetts’ first receivership since the Great Depression. Weld appointed Jim Carlin as receiver with oversight by Kriss, who was involved in drafting the enabling legislation.
Chelsea faced prolonged economic deterioration alongside a fiscal crisis. Together, Carlin and Kriss spearheaded a municipal recovery effort centered on renegotiating labor agreements with the firefighters union. Since 1989, Boston University had managed local school administration.
Within two years, Chelsea achieved budgetary balance, restructured firefighter contracts, optimized operations, and commenced new school construction projects. A charter revision in 1995 replaced governance with a council-manager system. Economic revitalization initiatives attracted new businesses; by 1998 Chelsea received an All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
In 2004, confronted with economic challenges, Springfield, Massachusetts sought state intervention. As Secretary under Governor Romney, Kriss drafted legislation for receivership that would suspend Chapter 150E—a critical public sector union statute—thereby expanding state authority. Despite union opposition and legislative debate, Springfield entered receivership without suspension of Chapter 150E.
The absence of suspension prolonged collective bargaining with teachers’ unions; however, in September 2006 Springfield implemented a merit-based pay agreement linking teacher salaries to student achievement—the first such contract in a major Massachusetts urban district.
The Springfield receivership successfully balanced finances, enhanced operational efficiency, and improved bond ratings. Control was returned to local officials on June 30, 2009.
In February 2004, Kriss publicly advocated for ending public sector union monopolies protected by laws like Chapter 150E. His position and the proposed suspension during Springfield’s receivership sparked debate at Harvard’s Kennedy School between Kriss and union representatives.
Upon departing office in September 2005, Kriss cautioned that overly generous public employee contracts combined with rising healthcare expenses and opposition to development posed significant risks to municipal financial stability.
Open formats
In early 2005, Kriss championed the adoption of open formats for government records, stressing that public documents should remain accessible and not confined to proprietary formats that might limit availability or become obsolete. During a September 2005 meeting of the Mass Technology Leadership Council, he underscored the importance of state sovereignty taking precedence over private intellectual property rights when it comes to managing public records.
That same month, Massachusetts became the pioneer state to officially approve the use of OpenDocument formats for its public records, deliberately moving away from proprietary options such as those found in Microsoft's Office products.
Massachusetts Turnpike
In August 2006, following the dismissal of Chairman Matthew J. Amorello and the partial collapse of the Ted Williams Tunnel roof, Governor Romney along with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board appointed Kriss to oversee a comprehensive review. On October 19, 2006, Kriss put forward a proposal to remove all tolls except those on tunnels leading to Logan International Airport. Subsequently, the Turnpike Authority board resolved to eliminate tolls west of the 128 toll plaza by June 30, 2007, marking the beginning of dismantling the Authority’s original mandate established in 1952.
In June 2009, Governor Deval Patrick enacted legislation officially dissolving the Turnpike as an independent authority effective November 1, 2009.