insightful.vet 2026 Conference Agenda

Rich Lester has over 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. Christine Staten graduated from 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 over 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. Sheila Erickson is a partner/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 12 associate veterinarians and 70+ staff members. Passionate about leadership, staff development, AI and app development, 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 adult children 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.

Matthew Salois, PhD is currently the President of the Veterinary Study Groups, Inc. (VSG), where he is responsible for enhancing the economic and cultural success of more than 1,800 veterinary member practices.

Most recently, Matt was the chief economist and head of the veterinary economics division at the AVMA between 2018 and 2022, where he applied his skills in economics, business, and communication to support the daily lives of veterinarians.

From 2014 to 2018, he served as director of global scientific affairs and policy at Elanco Animal Health, supervising a team of scientists in veterinary medicine, human medicine, animal welfare, economics and sustainability. His group devised and executed scientific engagement strategy, and built collaborative partnerships with universities, non-profit associations and scientific societies.

Matt is also an adjunct professor of applied economics at the University of Florida, where he previously taught and advised graduate and undergraduate students. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Florida and holds an M.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida.

Daniel Eisenstadt is the Founder and CEO of Terramed Real Estate Solutions (Terramed), which operates, develops and manages healthcare real estate with a specific focus on buildings leased to veterinary operators. Terramed currently owns and manages approximately one million square feet of veterinary and healthcare real estate located in more than 40 states. Terramed 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 Terramed, 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 Terramed Real Estate Solutions (Terramed). 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 Terramed, 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.

Dr. Andrew Marsh earned his degree from The Ohio State University in 2006 and, after several years in private practice, co-founded Cobblestone Veterinary Care in 2012 with his wife, Dr. Amy Jundt. What began with a single assistant and one patient on opening day has grown into a 14-person team, including four veterinarians.

In 2024, the practice completed a full facility renovation and expansion with only a two-day closure.

Dr. Marsh has a strong interest in business development, operational strategy, and building positive, collaborative team cultures. Outside the clinic, you’ll find him backpacking, exploring public lands in his old Nissan truck, and almost any kind of physical work outdoors.

Ethan Ott is Senior Vice President of Strategy & Analytics at Mission Pet Health, where he leads strategy, analytics, and commercial operations across one of the nation’s largest veterinary hospital platforms. Since joining the organization when it owned fewer than 20 locations, Ethan and his teams have helped scale the business into a national leader while building many of the company’s capabilities from the ground up.

Ethan works closely with clinical and operational leaders to translate data into practical decisions that drive hospital performance. He played a key role in shaping Mission’s pharmacy strategy and partnering with Vetcove to help bring its online pharmacy platform to market, now used in thousands of veterinary clinics nationwide.

Kevin Cohen is the Co-Founder and CEO of VetRec. Originally from Venezuela, Kevin earned his degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University.

He spent seven years at Microsoft, where he specialized in building Big Data and AI platforms. After a brief stint in the FinTech space, he eventually left to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship.

After several startup ventures, Kevin and his Co-Founder David launched VetRec in December 2023.

VetRec was born with a mission to improve patient care and advance the quality of veterinary medicine through software that promotes healthier work-life balance.

Dr. Ross Larson graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and completed a small animal rotating internship at the University of Georgia in 2012. He spent six years practicing small animal emergency and general medicine before transitioning to help manage his wife Dr. Jen Larson’s small animal practice from 2017 to 2025. His professional interests include client education, preventative medicine, and strengthening the human-animal bond.

Dr. Larson currently owns and practices through Touch the Heart Veterinary Services as a relief veterinarian. He lives in Matthews, North Carolina, with his wife, Dr. Jen Larson, Medical Lead at Uptown Veterinary Hospital in Charlotte, and their two children. Outside of practice, he enjoys time with family, volunteering with a nonprofit, woodworking, and outdoor activities

As an Animal Arts partner, Vicki brings unique experience to animal care design as both an architect and a certified veterinary technician. These combined skills give Vicki the perspective to design interior spaces that work on every level from complex veterinary hospital function to specific equipment layout. Vicki focuses on designing spaces that support the welfare and well-being of both the hospital team and the animals in their care. She has designed hospitals for clients across the U.S. and Canada including flagship facilities for NVA – ARISE in Queen Creek, Arizona, and VCA – West Los Angeles Animal Hospital in California, along with dozens of hospitals for privately owned veterinary practices. Vicki is the co-author of Practical Guide to Veterinary Hospital Design published by AAHA Press.

James DeLano, DVM, is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and educator with more than 35 years of experience at the intersection of clinical practice and business leadership. Over the course of his career, he has founded and operated multiple companies across veterinary healthcare, SaaS, fintech, and retail, with cumulative lifetime revenues exceeding $350M. Colleagues, organizations, and companies throughout the profession turn to Dr. DeLano for practical solutions to operational inefficiencies, the evaluation and implementation of new products and services, and the identification of financial opportunities.

A thought leader in veterinary business education, Dr. DeLano serves as a volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and has taught veterinary business courses through the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1987.