VHS Team

Kevin J. Esval
Founder and Executive Managing Director
esval@velocityhealth.com

Kevin J. Esval has served as Executive Managing Director of VelocityHealth Securities since founding the company in 2000. Mr. Esval has significant industry and investment banking experienced in most sectors of health care including specialty pharmaceuticals & generics, health care services, health care IT, diagnostics, biotechnology, and other sectors. With his extensive transactional and financing experience serving as a valuable resource, Mr. Esval takes an active role with all clients. Additionally, through his prior operating experience as an executive in growth oriented health care companies and active roles on boards of directors, Mr. Esval has developed a keen understanding of the challenges faced by middle market and growth companies. Mr. Esval has negotiated, structured, and executed various types of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and licensings; corporate and transactional financings, including equity, mezzanine and debt financings.

Previously, Mr. Esval served as a divisional SVP and COO for UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), one of the largest health care services companies in the world with annual revenues exceeding $80 billion. As one of the original startup executives of his division, Mr. Esval was instrumental in taking it from $0 to $400 million as of his departure. His career in health care began with a venture-backed startup Complete Health Services, Inc. This firm was one of Inc. Magazine’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies” in 1994. During this period, Mr. Esval was this company’s top sales executive, and managed the startup of two new divisions.

Additionally, Mr. Esval spent 5 years in sales, financial analysis, and trading roles at several financial derivatives companies, including Chicago based Rosenthal-Collins Group and R. J. O’Brien. During this period, his roles included working on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

Mr. Esval has served on the Board of Directors of multiple health care companies, and currently serves on the Board of Directors on several specialty pharmaceutical companies.

Mr. Esval received his BA degree from Furman University while on a football scholarship. Additionally, he studied internationally in Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Esval is a dual citizen of the USA and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr. Esval holds the Series 24, 7 & 63 Licenses.

Kenneth R. George, CPA
Chief Financial Officer and FINOP

Kenneth R. George serves as the CFO and FINOP of VelocityHealth Securities, and is founder and CEO of FINOP Services, LLC. Formerly, he worked as a Compliance Examiner in NASD (now FINRA) Regulation, Inc.'s Boston District office. While with NASD, he conducted routine examinations of NASD member firms, assisted in bringing new members into the Association. He was also a Senior Assistant Examiner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Mr. George is a Licensed CPA in the state of New Hampshire, and obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire.

Mr. George holds the Series 27, 24, 7 & 63 Licenses.

Christian Eidnes
Managing Director
eidnes@velocityhealth.com

Mr. Eidnes is a Managing Director for VelocityHealth Securities, and he is focused on the life sciences sectors, including the pharmaceutical sector where he is very experienced with generic and branded products. Mr. Eidnes is also currently the Director of Business Development for Orbus Pharmacuticals, which is a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Eidnes has significant experience within various sectors in the pharmaceutical industry including the in-licensing and out-licensing of products in Canada, the EU and the USA. He previously worked for international pharmaceutical companies such as Pharmascience Inc., Lab Pharmacological Research Intl., and Alternova A/S.

He earned a BA degree from the Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Mr. Eidnes is a dual citizen of the Canada and Norway.

Vishal Gandhi
Analyst
gandhi@velocityhealth.com

Mr. Gandhi is an Analyst for VelocityHealth Securities, and he is focused on the life science and HCIT sectors. Additionally his responsibilities include industry research and financial analysis. In addition, he also worked as an intern for Blue Beacon Capital’s investment banking division focused on the US pharmaceutical market.

He earned a BS degree from the Indiana University in Biology and is currently a PhD candidate in Human Genetics at Vanderbilt University. Mr. Gandhi is a citizen of India.

E. Brent Hill
Corporate Secretary

Mr. Hill is VelocityHealth Securities' Corporate Secretary and is also a partner at Waller Lansden.  He has extensive experience representing healthcare clients in merger and acquisitions.  Since 2004, Mr. Hill has represented a publicly traded behavioral healthcare services provider in the acquisition of more than 20 psychiatric hospitals throughout the country.  He recently assisted a privately owned hospital company in the development and syndication of a $60 million hospital and medical office building campus in Texas.  In addition, his experience includes the private placement of securities involving diagnostic imaging facilities and ambulatory surgery centers.

Mr. Hill also has represented recording companies in mergers and acquisitions, and he recently assisted a publishing company in its sale to a multimedia company.  His experience also includes the representation of start-up companies in capital raising efforts and general corporate matters.

Mr. Hill received his BA degree from Vanderbilt, and he received his JD degree from Emory University.