We think like veterinarians because we are veterinarians.

Chris Bishop

CEO

Chris brings 20+ years of healthcare experience to his role as CEO of VIP, where he champions the company’s vision for creating the most caring, highest-quality locations for pets, pet parents, and pet care providers.

Since joining the team in October of 2023, Chris has been focused on balancing the needs of veterinarians, offering support and hospital-level autonomy, ensuring long-term satisfaction, and providing an environment that empowers the highest quality of care and compassion for our pets.

He is an accomplished CEO, having served in the ambulatory surgery industry for 23 years, most recently leading the largest private surgery center operator serving the hospital joint venture market.

Chris is a father of two adult children and the family pet, Waylon. He lives in Nashville where he enjoys the outdoors, golf, holds season tickets for the Nashville Predators hockey team, serves on the board of Faith Family, and takes every opportunity to find mountains for snow skiing and hiking.

Matt Earnest

Chief Financial Officer

Matt brings over a decade of finance and accounting experience to VIP. His background includes public accounting, investment banking, and corporate finance and accounting experience at privately held physician management companies.

Prior to joining VIP, Matt most recently worked as the CFO at QualDerm Partners, a multi-site dermatology physician management company. In this position, he oversaw the finance and accounting, revenue cycle management, payer contracting and supply chain functions. Matt also has an active CPA license.

Matt is the proud father of four children and the family dog, Peyton June (PJ). He and his wife live in Nashville, TN. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his children, being outdoors, attending Orangetheory Fitness classes.

Emily Hubbard

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Emily Hubbard began her career as an Associate Veterinarian and has since progressed through roles as a single-unit Medical Director, multi-unit Medical Director, and most recently, Regional Director of Medical Quality, overseeing nearly 200 DVMs.

She is dedicated to empowering and equipping local Medical Leaders to make the best decisions for their Team Members, Clients, and Patients, believing this approach ensures high-quality care. As part of the Executive Leadership Team, she plays a pivotal role in advancing our “Life First” vision and supporting our Teams in delivering best-in-class quality care.

Outside of work, Dr. Hubbard enjoys time with her husband, Joseph, their two daughters, Evelyn and Eleanor, their miniature dachshund, Heidi, and their four chickens, Edith, Flo, Ladybird, and Maymi. Her hobbies include gardening, listening to music, cooking, and reading.

Derek brings 12+ years of experience in multisite healthcare leadership to VIP. He most recently served as COO for a premium Orthodontic Services Organization, overseeing 50+ locations.  He previously served as COO & President of ChanceLight Behavioral Health, leading operations for 35+ outpatient ABA therapy centers in six states. Prior to his career in multi-site healthcare, Derek served as a US Army Officer for 6 years, leading teams of Air and Missile Defense soldiers in America, South Korea, and several countries in the Middle East.

Derek is originally from San Antonio, Texas and received his Bachelors degree at The University of Texas (Austin). Outside the office, Derek enjoys hiking, fishing, photography & videography. Derek and his wife of over 17 years, Michelle, have two daughters, Cadence (16) and Kennedy (14).  Derek and his family reside in Mt. Juliet, TN and have 20 chickens, 2 dogs, and a beautiful horse named “Cocoa.”

Michele Silverman

Chief People Officer

Michele Silverman has nearly 20 years of combined HR and internal communications experience. Most recently, she led the HR organization of a 600-location hearing healthcare company to develop best-in-class people programs designed to build engagement and support team members at all levels of the company.

Lisa Tarr

EVP, Marketing

Lisa Tarr’s passion for pets started early while rescuing and adopting animals throughout her childhood. Later in life, she combined this passion with a marketing career and never looked back.

Lisa has nearly 20 years of experience leading high-growth, consumer-facing premium brands. She previously led the marketing team at Pet Paradise + NewDay Veterinary Care, a multi-unit pet healthcare company, for 14 years. During her time there, Lisa worked with her team to develop the brand vision, customer acquisition strategies and consumer experience touchpoints across the organization.
She also served as the Public Relations Director for the Houston Humane Society, working with various PR agencies to support marketing strategies for non-profit organizations.

Lisa is excited to continue her passion in the pet healthcare space while leading people to accomplish their goals and find their career paths. She is also thrilled to usher in the next evolution of the marketing team and create awareness among veterinarians that VIP is the top destination for their careers.

Lisa lives in Saint Augustine Beach, FL, with her two children, two pups, one cat and a bunny. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, yoga, and going to the beach.

With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare technology industry, Russ Haskett has held both technical and senior leadership roles. As Vice President of Information Technology at Summit Behavioral Health, a mid-market behavioral health company based in Franklin, TN, he led the organization’s technology and data department, driving strategic direction and operational efficiency. Before Summit Behavioral Health, Russ worked at Universal Health Services, a Fortune 300 company, where he oversaw technology and related support for 200 behavioral health hospitals.

Russ is actively involved in his community, including mentorship roles with the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, the Nashville Tech Council’s Veteran Mentorship Program, and The Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s Advisor Network. He has also served as a technology advisor for Mercy Community Health, Grace for The Wounded, and the Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition.

Currently, Russ sits on the board of the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association and is the committee chair for the Franklin Christian Church Giving Garden. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University and lives in Franklin, TN, with his wife and two daughters. Outside of work and family time, he enjoys training in martial arts and cheering on the Nashville Predators

Justin Steinert

SVP, Operations Strategy

Justin brings over a decade of experience in strategic planning and business development through execution of corporate strategies that drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage. Justin started his career in the retail sector after completing his MBA prior to joining the Animal health Sector over 7 years ago. Before joining VIP, Justin held pivotal roles at Valley Veterinary Care, where he successfully led Operations, major strategic initiatives, including market expansion, mergers and acquisitions, and innovation projects, where most recently served as SVP of Strategy.

Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids alongside their 2 Danes that consider themselves laps dogs. In his free time, Justin enjoys spending time with his children who are actively involved in sports, traveling and making core memories.

Chris Stine

SVP, Strategy & Legal

Chris is an experienced legal and corporate development professional with a diverse and multi-faceted background. Chris began his career as an attorney and officer in the United States Marine Corps. Following his service, Chris completed his MBA and started a healthcare career where he most recently served as the Vice President of Corporate Development for a growing surgery center platform. Chris’s greatest professional passion involves working cross-functionally across the organization to solve complex business problems and drive growth initiatives.