Management
VitalPet’s management, board and investors have a proven track record of success in a variety of industries.
Dr. James Kelly
Partner and Chairman of Medical Board
Dr. Kelly serves as the Chairman of the VitalPet Medical Board. The VitalPet medical board, an industry first within a corporate practice, is under the leadership of seasoned entrepreneurial veterinarians (the “Partners”), but relies on substantial input from associate veterinarians who exhibit leadership. Dr. Kelly developed the initial charter of the Medical Board, which makes all decisions related the practice of quality medicine at VitalPet. By design, the non-DVM management team of VitalPet does not vote on Medical Board decisions.
Previously, Dr. Kelly was the President of the Eastex Veterinary Group, where he served as a Partner since 1978. Eastex Veterinary group grew to four practices and developed a family oriented culture with a strong commitment to high quality of medicine, and was one of Houston’s largest and most successful veterinary medical groups. Dr. Kelly’s professional interest includes dermatology.
Dr. Kelly is a graduate of Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr. James Benedict
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Benedict is currently a professional veterinary practice consultant in San Antonio, TX, where he is also a founder and shareholder in an emergency veterinary center and a veterinary referral center. Dr. Benedict got involved with VitalPet when an potential investor introduced him to Benjamin and asked him to “poke holes” in VitalPet’s business model. After failing to find any faults, he joined the team.
Dr. Benedict is considered a leader among veterinarians, with his considerable entrepreneurial achievements. Beginning in 1974, Dr. Benedict practiced small animal veterinary medicine and surgery, where he separately owned and developed four veterinary hospitals in the San Antonio area, the last of which he sold to a partner in 2007. Dr. Benedict is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (past officer), the Veterinary Medical Association of Bexar County (past officer), and the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice.
Dr. Benedict earned a degree in Veterinary Science from Texas A&M University in 1973, and graduated Cum Laude as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1974.
Benjamin Thomas
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Benjamin is a entrepreneur with a track record of success. He founded VitalPet in 2008 with a vision to become the “premier provider of veterinary care in Texas”, combining the skills of committed, reputable veterinarians with professional management support at a local level. Benjamin spent two years planning the VitalPet launch, and studied the strengths and weaknesses of other veterinary groups to create a business plan where “everyone wins”. When VitalPet was ready to launch, nearly 30 individuals, many of whom backed Benjamin successfully before, invested capital to finance the first 15 hospitals.
At the age of 26, with no money or prior business experience, Benjamin founded his first business, initially funded by $50K from an investor who “took a flyer”. Through acquisition and growth, the business grew to over $50mm in revenue and sold in April of 2009 for nearly $200 million in cash, three weeks after the markets hit a ten year low. To build the company, Benjamin surrounded himself with an experienced team, including the former CEO of Sabre Systems, the co-founder of Alamo Rent-a-Car, and the founder of World Yacht.
Benjamin learned the veterinary services industry while serving on the founding team of a veterinary group from inception to over $30 million in revenue and 12 acquisitions. This company grew to achieve approximately $80 million in revenue before a sale in January 2008 for $130 million.
Benjamin’s career began in project engineering at Lockheed Martin (NASA shuttle program), followed by management consulting work at Accenture and Emerging.
A native Texan, Benjamin came from a family of three generations of Texas medical doctors. His grandfather, John F. Thomas, served as the chairman of the Texas Board of Medical Examiners. Benjamin holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering (with Honors) from Tulane University and a masters degree from Stanford Business School.
Steve Daniel
Chief Operating Officer
Steve has over nineteen years of management and executive level operations experience. He has led profit and loss for multi-unit operations in the veterinary care, child care, education, storage, and hospitality services. Steve has led businesses that deliver services to cherished family members with “two legs (kids)” and “four legs (pets)”.
In all of Steve’s positions, he has sought to first to develop his people and grow them to their full potential. Steve likes to say his specialty is “taking the jobs that no one else wants, and shaping a diamond from the rough.” Steve’s skill is managing multi-location operations spanning multiple regions and states. Steve’s most recent position was to run a region for a veterinary hospital group, where he maintained the most successful and profitable operation in the company. As a regional vice president, Steve looked for creative ways to provide the best possible support for veterinarians as they delivered medicine to clients.
Prior to his experience in veterinary medicine, Steve worked as the vice president of operations for the Western Region at Tutor Time Learning Centers, regional manager for KinderCare Learning Centers and was the regional franchise director for Wendy’s International.
Daniel holds a degree in Business Management from Bridgewater College and a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Business Management from Northern Virginia Community College.
Mark D. Hamel
Advisory Board Member
Mark is a marketing guru who specializes in using non traditional means to get the message out. Pet Butler, Mark’s entrepreneurial venture, is “#1 in the #2 business”. Pet Butler relieves thousands of happy clients of the responsibility of disposing of their beloved pets untidy deposits in the back yard. Pet Butler’s Toyota trucks, wrapped in green stuff, can be seen combing the Texas suburbs in Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.
Mark is currently the COO of Pet Butler Franchise Services. Prior to the purchase of Pet Butler, Mr Hamel was the Manager, Southwest Region for Perot Systems Revenue Cycle Business. Prior to Perot Systems, Mr. Hamel ran a 70 million dollar business unit for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Hamel is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a degree in Engineering. He served in the Army after graduation and served in Desert Storm, Africa, and Central America.
Tom D’Agostino
Board Member
Tom believes great businesses are built only when the team is committed for the long haul. Those who work with Tom know that he refuses to be involved with “quick turn” operations. Tom was an early investor in VitalPet, and applies his extensive business experience to its long term success.
Tom has spent over thirty years building, consolidating and leading companies in the print industry. Tom currently serves as Chairman of SmartSource, LLC, a business print outsourcer that offers client companies a variety of solutions to cut costs and inefficiencies in their print programs.
Prior to his work at SmartSource, Tom spent five years as Chairman and CEO of Workflow Management, Inc., a publicly traded printing company with over 6,500 employees. During his tenure as Chairman and CEO, Workflow Management became the seventh largest printing company in the United States and achieved a market capitalization of nearly $2 billion. Tom built the company that would become Workflow Management through a series of over eighty acquisitions, beginning with the acquisition of Standard Forms, Inc. in 1988.
Tom began his career in the print industry in Philadelphia, PA in 1971 when he formed his first company, Forms & Peripherals after attending Villanova University and spending seven years in the Army Reserves. Tom serves on a number of philanthropic boards and has been recognized as one of the most innovative leaders in the print industry.
David S. Oliver
Board Member
David believes that every business is only as good as the people who deliver exceptional service to customers and employees alike. With a strong vision for the future David joined the VitalPet Team as an investor and on the Board of Directors knowing that the team is driven to create excellence within the veterinary care industry.
In 2005, representing the third generation, David became the fifth President of Oliver Sprinkler Company Inc., the largest commercial fire protection provider in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The business, starting in 1957, has a culture deeply rooted in delivering service. Under his direction Oliver has expanded appreciably within the Philadelphia area and surrounding regions.
As an active member within the community and industry David serves on several Boards including; The Fire Advisory Board for the City of Philadelphia, PenJerDel Industry Promotion Board, and the Wiginton Fire Systems Inc Board of Directors. He is also active in the Vistage Chief Executive Organization and Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
David holds a BA in engineering sciences from Dartmouth College and a masters in business administration from Villanova University.
