After graduating from UC Irvine in 1992, Chris started his career with Banker’s Trust in their 401k administration division. The company managed many of the largest accounts in Southern California, including the County of Los Angeles account as well as the Pacific Telesis account. Although he was already licensed by the National Association of Securities Dealers (Series 6 & 63) to manage securities, Chris obtained his Health & Insurance License from the California Department of Insurance in 1993. Leaving Banker’s Trust, Chris decided to work with groups and businesses in Southern California to help them achieve their goal of offering their employees top tier benefits at the best value. Married with two children, Chris believes in providing a customer-centric service with a human face.

In 2003, Chris teamed-up with childhood friend Raphy Timour to form Pontrelli, Timour & Associates, Inc. PT Benefits is a full-service, independent insurance agency specializing in employee benefits. In 2007, PT Benefits moved to its present location in South Pasadena as the company continued to expand and grow. For over 20 years, PT Benefits has delivered creative, cost-saving benefit program solutions to Southern California Business owners. Wanting to extend his reach, Chris and Raphy teamed with James Harwood, Samantha Harwood, and Cana Tighe to create Soteria HR. By combining the benefits administration expertise with their HR consulting and management experience, Chris knew the new company would be of tremendous help to businesses nationwide.