Ivan Zak, DVM, MBA

Ivan “Zak” Zakharenkov, DVM, MBA, CEO of Galaxy Vets, is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for the well-being of veterinary professionals. Twelve years as an emergency department veterinarian inspired him to create Smart Flow, a first-in-the-industry workflow optimization system later acquired by Fortune 500 company IDEXX. He subsequently founded Veterinary Integration Solutions, an executive consulting firm where he helped veterinary groups systematize acquisition, integration, and improvement of practices with special attention to burnout prevention. Along the way, he obtained an MBA in international health care management with a thesis on “Implementation of Lean Thinking to Improve the Employee Experience.” Pursuing his goal to make a sizable impact on the veterinary profession, he took the lead in Galaxy Vets, a new veterinary health care system co-owned by its employees with burnout prevention as a strategic priority.

He is an active angel investor, cohost of 2 podcasts, Veterinary Innovation Podcast and Consolidate That!, and host of the Leading With Purpose webinar series.