OUR TEAM

We have business heritage going back over 50 years, and a large network of professionals available to assist with individualized advice and guidance for all of our clients. With our team’s expertise we’ve garnered a national following for tax and financial engineering services, which focus on small businesses and their owners.

If you are a business owner looking for strategic tax consulting, and to prepare for retirement, look no further.

R. Kenner French

Chief Investment Officer

Kenner, a newly appointed Forbes.com small business contributor, is responsible for all investment related decisions, especially those involving portfolio companies. He has been with Vast and its related entities since 2006. Prior to joining Vast, Kenner worked with ING Group, the multinational investment firm, as a Regional Vice President. His professional history also includes leading at companies such as Wells Fargo Bank as a Vice President, Pacific Portfolio consulting (leading investment research), Mercer Investment Consulting (investment research analyst for the Northwest), and Wall Street-based Ladenburg, Thalmann & Company, Inc. (holding a number of positions). Kenner is the author of two books. His first written in 2007 is titled The Small Business Owner’s Marketing Manifesto: An Essential Guide and his second one published in 2020 called The Entrepreneur’s Manifesto: A Collection of Smart Financial Advice. He is laboring on a third one with a working title of The Family Wealth Manifesto: An Essential Guide due out in 2021. The northwest native speaks all over the world on topics ranging from investments, retirement, marketing, and other topics affecting entrepreneurs. He attended Harvard University, Washington State University, and Olympic College. Kenner lives just outside of Seattle, with his wife of over 25 years and two sons.

Pierre LeDorze

Pierre LeDorze studied business communications in college while also excelling in college baseball where he played four years of varsity ball. He began working with Vast Holdings Group in 2018.  He has rose through the ranks quickly and now helps to manage an affiliate and also works with selected small business owner clients as well. In his spare time, Pierre enjoys physical activity and is an avid sports fan.

James Martin, III

Mr. James Martin III heads up executive benefits consulting for all Vast-related entities. He has been involved in the business and financial arenas for the past 20 plus years. He has owned multiple businesses and been involved in commercial and residential mortgage financing. He has enjoyed a long career serving as a valued resource to his small business owner clients. He views this as a highlight of his career because he is assisting clients with something as important as planning for retirement. After playing four years of college baseball he enjoyed a brief professional baseball career.

Morgan Maloney

Ms. Maloney is Forbes trained in customer service and has received customer service awards from her local municipality of Henderson, NV for such services.  The life-long Nevada resident has worked in retail, spa services, and most recently, in the property and casualty industry. Ms. Maloney heads up the corporate insurance services and administrative functions of all Vast-related companies.  She also attends Mosiac Church in her hometown.

Michelle Lawson

Michelle Lawson has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. She has worked at both world wide brokerage, Morgan Stanley, and smaller independent Broker-Dealer (BD), Liberty Partners Financial Services LLC. Most recently she served as Chief Compliance Officer of a registered investment advisor (RIA) and the Operations Director for both a BD and RIA. She comes with a wealth of experience with all aspects of business – client service, operational and compliance. In addition to the professional history she brings her skills learned while successfully raising 3 amazing daughters; that she is still certain will run the world one day if they get their way. Based out of Bakersfield, California she has the perfect access to any landscape (beach, mountain snow, lakes, desert, etc.) within a couple hours and takes advantage when possible.

Katelyn Whittemore

Ms. Whittemore has a background in the legal field in Las Vegas, NV. She has experience with client services, registered agent services, and processing various legal documents. Katelyn also has hands-on experience in real estate. She has assisted with rehabilitation, showings, and executing contracts. Ms. Whittemore works with all the affiliate companies under the Vast Holdings umbrella. She is a licensed producer for life insurance in the state of Nevada. In her spare time Katelyn loves practicing archery, she holds a NASP state title for 2016 and was able to attend nationals in Kentucky.

Marco I. Sanchez

Marco I. Sanchez is a licensed attorney in the states of Texas and Nevada. He began his legal career working for a law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. After several years he decided to open his own practice that handles personal injury, civil litigation, family law and business law. Recently he has decided to pursue helping small business owners and oversees risk mitigation strategies for the Vast related entities and some selected clients.