Our Agenda

Rich Lester has 15 years of experience in the veterinary industry, focusing on veterinarians’ financial success. He was President of BrightHeart Veterinary Centers before founding Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP) in 2011, the first group to co-own hospitals with veterinarians. As CEO, he expanded VPP to over 65 partnerships and 1200 team members. In 2020, he transitioned to an advisor role and joined Ackerman Group in late 2021, advising on financial security for veterinarians. Ackerman Group is a leading broker/advisor for practice sales to corporate buyers. With a background in human healthcare management and significant experience in practice acquisition, Rich is skilled in guiding owners through the sale process. He holds an MBA from UCLA and a degree in Finance and American History from the University of Pennsylvania. Rich is married with three children and enjoys skiing, golfing, and family time.

Born in Maine and grew up on a dairy farm. Undergraduate at Cornell, and Veterinary school at UGA, with an Internship at Texas A&M. Worked in ER for 2 years, then opened Hambright Animal Hospital in 2015. Has grown the hospital from 8 employees to 40 employees in that time, and revenue from $1.3M to $6.8M in 10 years. Initially had investing partners who helped get the startup going, but bought out their shares in 2020. Married to his internmate and they have two young children (5 and 7). Enjoys skiing, running, and travel, outside of work and family.

Dr. Stacey Rutledge was born and raised in the South Sound! She received her undergraduate degree from Central Washington University and earned her veterinary degree in 2014 at Washington State University (GO COUGS!). Fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian and owning her own clinic, Dr. Rutledge became the proud owner of Bayview Veterinary Hospital in April 2020. Since then, she has expanded her passion for veterinary care and entrepreneurship by acquiring Puyallup Valley Veterinary Clinic in 2021 and Co-owning Central Valley Animal Hospital in 2023. She loves providing high-quality care to pets and their families, leading her dedicated teams across all three clinics. Dr. Rutledge is a proud mom to her two children, Clarity (8) and Cooper (6). She lives on a small mini farm — a dream come true — with her 3 dogs, 3 cats, 3 goats and her flock of chickens. In her free time, she and her kids enjoy camping, fishing, hiking, quad riding, and exploring the beautiful outdoors of Washington. She feels incredibly fortunate to combine her passion for animals with her commitment to serving her community, making every day as a veterinarian, small business owner, and mother a rewarding experience.

Dr. Christine Staten graduated from CSU Vet School in 1999 and owns a 10-doctor, 50-team member, 2-location mixed animal practice in Tucson, Arizona that she grew from a solo-ambulatory practice. Desiring to learn more about entrepreneurship and business management, she earned her MBA from LSU in 2023.  With her company Veterinary MBA, Dr. Staten is enthusiastically helping other practice owners and managers create more sustainable business models while gaining more time, money, and freedom in their lives. She is also passionate about encouraging and mentoring the next generation of veterinarians into the greatest profession in the world.

Unapologetically unbalanced, Dr. Staten is married with five children and six grandchildren. She dabbles in real estate with commercial property, student rentals, and an Airbnb.

Follow along on Instagram @veterinary_mba and @dr.christinestaten and join her newsletter list at veterinary-mba.com.

Dr. Barak Benaryeh is the owner of Spicewood Springs Animal Hospital. He graduated from the University of California Davis in 1997 and completed an internship at the University of Pennsylvania.
He built his animal hospital up from a one-doctor practice in 2005 to a bustling two location, eight-veterinarian hospital with close to fifty employees. He continues to practice medicine and is a regular contributor to Clinician’s Brief Veterinary Journal and other veterinary publications. He speaks at conferences on topics ranging from medical care of aging dogs to veterinary skills and competency.

Dr. Benaryeh considers that the measure of a successful career is what you do outside of your life at the animal hospital.

You can listen to his podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: The Vet Off-Leash

Win has nearly a decade of experience advising veterinary practice owners on business issues, currently overseeing growth marketing and assisting with practice sales at Ackerman Group. He previously served as Chief Growth Officer at Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP), where he led marketing and business development, significantly contributing to VPP’s rapid revenue growth and its inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list from 2016-2020. Win also pioneered VPP’s practice assessment methodology and technology/data analytics initiatives, enhancing practice performance understanding. Before VPP, he was a Senior Associate at Centerwood Partners, LLC, and Director of Marketing at Foresite Sports, Inc. Win holds an MBA from Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Walker is a graduate from Texas A&M University–gig ‘em, Aggies! He opened Apollo Veterinary in 2021, named after his beloved Border Collie and his grandfather. He also adopted a cat named Pegasus (Peggy) with cerebellar hypoplasia–she lives in the clinic now, and goes everywhere with him! Apollo Veterinary is a multi-location, open-concept veterinary practice in Central Texas. Dr. Walker loves surgery, dermatology, and growing Apollo Vet to be the best it can be. He’s a passionate entrepreneur looking to scale his business to make a positive impact on his clients, employees, and patients!

Dr. Eric and Cathy Pugh founded Hometown Veterinary Services in October 1997, shortly after Dr. Pugh earned his veterinary license from The Ohio State University. The practice began with Dr. Pugh working out of his garage and making farm calls in his veterinary truck, before purchasing a small general store and transforming it into a 6,000-square-foot animal hospital. Today, the clinic has grown to include 37 employees, including three dedicated veterinarians. All four of the Pughs’ children are actively involved in the clinic, making it a true family-run operation. In 2024, the facility underwent a 5,500-square-foot expansion and complete interior redesign, now totaling 11,500 square feet, to continue providing compassionate, personalized care to the community.

Dr. Sheila Erickson, DVM, is the owner of Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care and Veterinary Service in Kennewick, WA. She founded the urgent care practice in 2018 and has since expanded it into a urgent Care, general practice, and in-home euthanasia service, now supporting 10 associate veterinarians and 60 staff members. Passionate about veterinary care, leadership, community service, and volunteering, Dr. Erickson is dedicated to giving back and making a difference. Outside of work, she enjoys pickleball, wakesurfing, and traveling with her husband and family. She is a mother of three teenagers and loves staying active in both her professional and personal life.

Dr. Redman was born and raised in Wooster, Ohio, the son of a veterinarian at The Ohio State College Veterinary Medicine. He attended The Ohio State University for both his undergraduate degree and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and served as President of his class throughout veterinary school.

He has owned and managed two very successful veterinary hospitals with outstanding teams of healthcare providers and sold these in 2018. He currently owns a third practice in northeast Ohio.
He has been appointed and served under three Ohio Governors to the Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board, was elected to the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association Board of Directors, and was the 2019-2021 President of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, which oversees the regulation and licensing of Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians in the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands. In that role, he oversaw RACE continuing education and the VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Exam) which is the testing requirement of technicians in North America.

In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, saltwater fishing, and wake surfing. He is also a licensed pilot. He resides with his wife, Peg, and their dog, Ruger at Lake Buckhorn, Millersburg, and Punta Gorda, FL. Peg and Dr.

Redman has 5 children, 7 grandchildren with an 8th due December 2022.

Ryan has spent over ten years in corporate strategy and business development at some of the largest and fastest growing companies in the world. At Ackerman Group, he’s responsible for Business Development. Ryan is focused on making sure that veterinarians view us as a trusted advisor at every step of the process and have a consistent experience with us.

Before joining Ackerman Group, Ryan worked at Venture Capital-funded startups in addition to blue chip companies like AT&T and Salesforce. At these companies, Ryan’s responsibilities ranged from negotiating complex, multi-site agreements with Fortune 5,000 companies to designing quotas, territories and sales strategies for hundreds of sales professionals.

Ryan holds a degree in History from Gettysburg College and currently lives in Oakland, California with his wife Kim. Outside of work he loves to run, cook and volunteer in his neighborhood.

Ryan Barlow joined Ackerman Group in 2022 as a Senior Financial Analyst. He brings over 4 years of experience in financial analysis in veterinary and multi-site healthcare. Prior to Ackerman Group, Ryan worked as a Senior M&A Analyst for Community Veterinary Partners, where he focused on evaluating the financials of veterinary hospitals and conducting internal financial due diligence. Outside of the veterinary industry, Ryan was a Senior M&A Analyst for Taqitz Advisors, where he assisted in financial consulting and the execution of third-party financial due diligence for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. He is excited to help Ackerman Group continue to guide practice owners in finding their best price, terms, and fit as they look to transition their businesses and secure their personal and financial legacies.

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Denver, where he also played collegiate soccer. He is originally from Dallas, Texas, and currently resides in Denver Colorado. In his spare time, Ryan loves to eat good food and watch TV shows with his wife Paulina and their three-year-old mini Goldendoodle, Miley.

Chris Watkins, our Director of Operations, has more than 20 years of experience in the veterinary profession. Prior to Ackerman Group, Chris served as a technician and in hospital administration and practice management, most of which was at a multi-site, AAHA-accredited hospital in North Carolina. The hospitals where Chris worked were sold to corporate buyers, where he played an integral part in the transition. The experience gave him an initial dive into the transition process that led to his involvement with Ackerman Group today.

Areas in which Chris excels include practice management analysis, software functionality, due diligence processes, and client services. He’s also a credentialed veterinary assistant and still maintains his CE requirements for his AVA designation. He has an educational background in business administration and is in the process of completing requirements to earn a designation as a CVPM.

“Our team has a unique synergy and cohesiveness,” he says. “I find it rewarding when a client expresses a sigh of relief when they understand the tools, processes, and expertise that we have in place to support them through the various phases of selling their practice.”

Guncha Singh, a seasoned financial professional, joined Ackerman Group in 2024 as a Senior Financial Analyst. Before her role at Ackerman Group, Guncha worked as a Finance Manager at National Veterinary Associates, where she assisted in business development, mergers and acquisitions, and budgeting.

Outside of the veterinary industry, Guncha also served as a Tax Associate at BDO USA LP, where she handled C & S Corporate returns, as well as state returns. Following this, she took on the role of Tax Analyst at Warner Bros. Entertainment, contributing her financial acumen to one of the entertainment industry’s giants.

Guncha, who lives in Los Angeles with her family, finds balance in her life through yoga, Bhangra dancing, travel, and online shopping.

Kelly has been a member of the Animal Arts team since 2017 and a principal
since January of 2021. Her expertise comes from a diverse range of projects
starting with multifamily projects, such as the 96,000 square-foot Hyatt House
in Lakewood, Colorado, extending to complex public works projects including
a 13-kilometer light rail line for the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.

Kelly provides detail-oriented master planning and programming services
to our clients, as well as a strong skillset in graphic design. She brings exten-
sive experience in project management throughout multiple project design
phases.

Kelly has worked on projects across the spectrum of animal care, including
the Atlanta Humane Society in Georgia; the ground-up specialty/emergency
hospital for ARISE in Queen Creek, Arizona; and new locations for Southern
Veterinary Partners Livewell hospitals across the country.

Dr. Dan Markwalder is a veterinary leader and founding partner of Companion Animal Hospitals, a network of practices based in Chicago, Illinois. His journey in veterinary practice began in 1993 when he founded the Animal Care Clinic group in Algonquin, Illinois, with a vision to create a welcoming environment focused on high-quality care for pets and their families.

Since then, Dr. Markwalder has played a pivotal role in the growth of veterinary medicine throughout the Chicagoland area, serving as a managing partner in over 20 hospitals. In 2021, he assumed the position of Chief Veterinary Officer at Mission Veterinary Partners, and following the 2025 merger with Southern Veterinary Partners, he was named Chief Medical Officer, continuing his commitment to advancing veterinary excellence on a national scale.  Dan is passionate about mentorship and medical leadership. 

A proud graduate of Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Markwalder is passionate about partnering with pet parents to ensure the highest standard of care. He dedicates over 80 hours each year to continuing education, staying at the forefront of the latest treatments and innovations in veterinary medicine.

Dr. Markwalder resides in the Chicago area with his wife of over 30 years. Together, they’ve raised four sons and built a life grounded in family, community, and a deep love for animals.

Matt Salois, PhD, is the President of Veterinary Management Groups (VMG), where he leads initiatives to enhance the economic and cultural success of over 2,000 independent veterinary practices across the United States. With a mission-driven approach, Matt is dedicated to advancing the veterinary profession through collaboration and community.​

Prior to joining VMG, Matt served as the Chief Economist and Head of the Veterinary Economics Division at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) from 2018 to 2022. In that role, he championed the importance of economic literacy across the profession and developed tools, research, and policies to support veterinarians in both clinical and business decision-making. Earlier, he held the role of Senior Director of Global Scientific Affairs and Policy at Elanco Animal Health, where he engaged in international initiatives at the intersection of animal health, food security, and public policy.

Matt is also an adjunct professor of applied economics at the University of Florida, where he taught and advised students on topics ranging from international trade to econometrics. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Florida, as well as an M.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida.​

He lives in the Chicagoland area with his wife and four children, along with their lively household of three cats and one dog.

Daniel Eisenstadt is the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Terravet Real Estate Solutions (Terravet), which operates, develops and manages healthcare real estate with a specific focus on buildings leased to veterinary operators. Terravet currently owns and manages approximately one million square feet of veterinary and healthcare real estate located in more than 40 states. Terravet has approximately $400 million of committed capital focused on veterinary and healthcare real estate. From 2009 to 2018, Daniel served as a co-founder, President and Chairman of Community Veterinary Partners (CVP). CVP is a veterinary services group that owns and operates approximately 150 veterinary hospitals in the United States.

Prior to co-founding CVP and Terravet, Daniel was a managing director at CMS Companies, a private equity and real estate investment firm, where Daniel served on the firm’s investment committee and executive committee. Prior to CMS, Daniel co-founded and served as the founding executive director of the Auschwitz Jewish Center, a museum and visitor center located near the former concentration camp in Oswiecim, Poland. Daniel began his career working as a corporate lawyer at Fulbright and Jaworski, L.L.P. in New York City.

Daniel has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Clark University. Daniel was also a Raoul Wallenberg Scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Daniel lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Sharon, their three daughters, and their goldendoodle Meyer Lansky

Peter Kilkelly is the Chief Development Officer for Terravet Real Estate Solutions. Peter has twenty years of experience in the animal health care and public accounting sectors. He began his career in the animal healthcare industry working with Burzenski & Company, a veterinary-specific accounting firm. There, Peter worked with veterinary practice owners across the U.S. to improve their practice’s financial health and maintain compliance with federal and state tax regulations.

Before joining Terravet, Peter worked with VCA Animal Hospitals as a Director of Acquisitions, where he developed relationships with veterinary practice owners, performed financial analysis, and negotiated the acquisition of more than 50 veterinary practices with a combined revenue of over $130 million.

Peter is a past Board Member of the Veterinary Management Council of Connecticut and a past Member of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Peter lives in Connecticut with his wife and their son and daughter.

Frank Muggia is a leading attorney in Veterinary Law & Ethics, nationally known for his 35 years of experience and extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the veterinary industry. He is well-versed in advising veterinary practices on mergers and acquisitions, resolving conflicts among partners and employees, and developing strategic business plans. Frank has extensive litigation experience in veterinary-related cases.

Stuart Smith’s practice encompasses all aspects of Veterinary Law & Ethics, providing comprehensive legal counsel to veterinary practices, focusing on regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate matters. With five years of working exclusively in Veterinary Law & Ethics and a wealth of knowledge of the challenges that arise in the veterinary industry, Stuart offers strategic guidance to deliver effective solutions for every legal matter.