Brent J. Guerisoli was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective August 1, 2022. He previously served as the President of the Company from January 2021 until his appointment as CEO. He has served as a member of the Company’s board of directors since February 2023. Prior to his appointment as President of Pennant, Mr. Guerisoli served as President of Cornerstone Healthcare, Pennant’s home health and hospice segment, helping lead the segment through a period of transformational growth, breakout financial performance and enhanced clinical excellence. Since joining the Company in 2012, Mr. Guerisoli has made significant contributions to the financial, clinical, and cultural achievements of Cornerstone and has played a key role in the organization’s overall leadership recruiting and training. Throughout his tenure at Pennant, Mr. Guerisoli has developed dozens of leaders and directed the organization’s growth efforts across several states. Mr. Guerisoli received his Master of Business Administration from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining Pennant, Mr. Guerisoli completed the executive training program and later served as a business manager at AT&T. Mr. Guerisoli’s extensive knowledge of our operations and industry and his proven leadership skills support the conclusion that he should serve as one of our directors. Mr. Guerisoli’s service on the Board creates a critical link between management and the Board of Directors.
Lynette B. Walbom was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Company on May 22, 2023. Prior to joining Pennant, Ms. Walbom was Vice President of Financial Reporting and Tax for Raising Cane’s Restaurants, LLC, a national restaurant chain operating in 35 states, which more than doubled in size—based on number of restaurants and geographic footprint—during her tenure. At Raising Cane’s, from 2016 to 2023, Ms. Walbom had broad responsibility for financial reporting, acquisitions, tax, accounting systems, and equity management. From 2003 to 2016, Ms. Walbom was Chief Financial Officer of a family office with investments in companies in several industries, including financial services, computer services, real estate development and franchising. Ms. Walbom began her 23-year career in accounting as a public company auditor at Deloitte. Ms. Walbom received her B.S. degree in accounting from Northern Arizona University—The W.A. Franke College of Business and is a certified public accountant.
John J. Gochnour was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Pennant upon its formation in 2019 and was appointed President of Pennant on August 1, 2022. Prior to the formation of Pennant, Mr. Gochnour served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Cornerstone since January 2013. Mr. Gochnour played a critical role in the acquisition and integration efforts of Cornerstone and Ensign’s other new business ventures, by sourcing, negotiating and helping to integrate acquisitions across 12 states and multiple industries. Mr. Gochnour also led the recruiting and development of Cornerstone’s professional resource team and founded the Cornerstone Service Center, which provides consulting and management services in the areas of finance, legal, human resources, and information technology to operations across the Cornerstone platform. Prior to joining Cornerstone, Mr. Gochnour was an attorney at the law firm Paul Hastings LLP in Costa Mesa, California, where he litigated complex civil disputes and advised clients related to risk management, general liability, and employment issues. Mr. Gochnour received his law degree from the Duke University School of Law.
Kirk S. Cheney is the Company’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. In this role, Mr. Cheney oversees acquisitions, government relations, and the legal, regulatory, and risk management functions of the Company. He also leads Pennant’s Service Center and helps ensure that its performance accelerates Pennant’s overall results. Mr. Cheney joined the Pennant Group in 2019, after serving as General Counsel for Click Sales, Inc., a technology company that provides payment attribution and processing for online sales. Previously, Mr. Cheney practiced corporate law at the international and national law firms of Vinson & Elkins, LLP and Holland & Hart, LLP, where he counseled clients on litigation matters, corporate transactions, and debt restructuring and investments. Mr. Cheney received his law degree from Yale Law School in 2009, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.