Why Choose Us

Monarch Business Consulting is the leading financial advisory firm serving independent veterinarians throughout the USA. Our team has more than 100 years of combined experience in the veterinary industry and general transactions working with buyers and sellers of businesses. With over 500 closed transactions as a team, we can help you plan and successfully execute the sale of all or part of your practice. We can identify lenders who specialize in financing or refinancing veterinary businesses to help you arrange the best loan terms for your situation. Our hands-on approach allows our clients access to top level support and confidence their transaction is being handled with the highest degree of professionalism.  We can manage a transformation of a practice from one set of owners to the next by utilizing a full spectrum of available options in the market at any point and time.

Dr. Chris Rocchio founded Monarch to pursue his passion to help associate veterinarians who would like to purchase or buy-in to a practice.  As he worked with these clients and listened to their concerns, it became clear that Monarch needed to offer their services to practice owners interested in selling as well as buyers.  Chris and his wife Dr. Debbie Chew own the East Greenbush Animal hospital in East Greenbush, NY.  He also was a partner/co-owner of River Road Animal Hospital in Niskayuna, NY before the sale of that practice in 2020. Taking account of his experience as owner of two practices in the Albany, NY area, Dr. Rocchio relates to the veterinarian first and the entrepreneur/business owner or buyer next.  Seeing the transaction from the perspective of the veterinarian, rather than from purely the financial aspects, has enabled Monarch to distinguish itself from other brokers under Dr. Rocchio’s leadership. Call Chris to talk to a real veterinarian about your goals to buy or sell a practice.

David Waterman is an experienced mergers and acquisitions advisor with more than 30 years of leading transactions for sellers of businesses.  This broad array of transaction experience proves to be extremely helpful to veterinarians who are seeking to sell.  As practice owners begin to plan for the transition of their clinic to a new owner, they recognize the importance of engaging an expert advisor to assist them.  David’s experience and ability to listen to the owner’s priorities enables him to deliver the options to the veterinarian to achieve the best outcome.  Whether the priority is the best value, the best cultural fit or simply to find the best future custodian for the practice, Monarch is equipped to succeed with David’s unmatched attention to detail and results-driven attitude.  Call David to discuss how he and the Monarch team can help you to realize dreams for selling your practice.

Lori Smith has had over a decade of experience within the Veterinary Industry advising hospital owners. Her expertise ranges from maximizing profit margins to choosing capital equipment, to planning transition strategies through acquisitions. This broad and unmatched level of knowledge allows Lori to guide Monarch’s clients through the continuum of buying into their first practice to financing expansion of their clinic and planning for the sale of their practice as they near retirement. No matter what the challenges are, Lori is a professional who listens to uncover what is most important in each individual transaction to achieve the clients' objectives. Lori embodies the Monarch culture of defining “What’s Next” for each veterinarian we serve.  Give Lori a call today to learn how she and the Monarch team can help you get to where you are going.

Trent Homec grew up in the veterinary industry. Trent’s father is a veterinarian who owned his practice and Trent spent his early years doing the various jobs at the clinic, learning about the independently owned veterinary industry from the ground up. His passion for the veterinary business grew from there. Although his goal was to attend veterinary school and take over the family business, Trent quickly realized that he loved learning about businesses and shifted to study marketing and later earned an MBA.  After receiving his Masters degree, Trent accepted a job at VCA, the largest veterinary consolidator in the industry. At VCA he spent 8 years in regional operations, and he was asked to join the business development team, acquiring practices to apply his knowledge of the veterinary industry to find and negotiate good acquisitions for VCA. Thrive Pet Healthcare brought him onto their team in 2019 where he continued in a mergers and acquisitions role, until joining the team at Monarch. Trent has completed hundreds of transactions, helping veterinarians with their succession planning, and achieving wealth.

Dr. Kathy Stieh is a veterinarian with over 15 years of experience in practice transitions, valuations, and purchasing, who specializes in helping veterinary professionals navigate the complexities of buying, selling, and merging practices. With a strong background in multi-site hospital operations, corporate leadership, and mergers and acquisitions, Dr. Stieh brings a deep understanding of deal structuring and financial analysis to every transaction. Kathy has a proven track record of structuring deals that align with each client's financial goals, cultural values, and long-term vision. She understands that every transaction represents not just a business decision, but a transition that can impact an entire team, and therefore she prioritizes creative solutions that work for everyone involved — from the practice owner to the associate veterinarians and staff.  Kathy is passionate about guiding clients through the intricacies of transition planning, providing clear insights into valuations, the myriad of buyers and various offer structures. 

Bryan Wegman has nearly 15 years of experience within the Animal Health industry having worked with Merck Animal Health, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Patterson Veterinary Supply as both a Territory Manager and Regional Manager. Bryan brings deep industry expertise and a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities within veterinary practices. Throughout his career, Bryan has built strong relationships with veterinarians, practice owners, veterinary consolidators and other industry leaders, enabling him to provide tailored advice and solutions for smooth, successful transitions. His extensive knowledge of veterinary operations, coupled with a passion for animal health, allows him to help clients navigate the complexities of ownership changes, mergers, and acquisitions. Bryan holds a deep commitment to ensuring that each transition preserves the integrity and mission of the practice while setting up both the practice and the owners for future success.

Jessica Larson is an experienced professional with a career spanning over 15 years in the veterinary industry. Throughout her professional journey, she has engaged in a broad spectrum of roles, ranging from practice management to regional oversight, with her most recent concentration on mergers and acquisitions.  This varied exposure has afforded her a distinct comprehension of the nuanced intricacies of practice valuation.  With an impressive track record of conducting hundreds of practice valuations that have led to successful acquisitions, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to align businesses for prosperity in the ever-evolving landscape of veterinary care. Jessica's dedication lies in helping practice owners realize their aspirations, whether it be from startup ventures to well-deserved retirements. Her passion for the veterinary field is exemplified through her commitment to facilitating growth and success within the industry.

Christine Relovsky has more than 10 years of experience in consultation and account management in the medical industry.  She has promoted customer growth by successfully identifying demands for applications across company products and service lines.  Christine specializes in customer engagement with an emphasis on fostering successful transitions for our clients.  She understands a veterinarian's need to meet patient demands in a competitive marketplace while managing their profitability.  Christine will facilitate marketing to maximize your selling potential.  She will help you manage the step-by-step process of selling your practice or creating a partnership.

Chris Acquilano has been involved in mergers and acquisitions for more than 27 years.  Currently her role in Monarch assures the accurate and timely exchange of data from Monarch’s clients and the universe of buyers and lenders we deal with.  Monarch’s data room activities are second to none in the industry, and Chris’ ability to organize and assemble information from each client in the form that buyers and lenders need is critical to assuring successful outcomes for Monarch’s clients.  Working with small business owners has been a passion for Chris.  She has been involved in more than 100 business sales in her career and brings great dedication to Monarch and our clients.  Chris is also responsible for the planning and execution of Monarch's presence at industry conferences.  She is often the first point of contact for Monarch.