Lou Taylor Expands Tri Star’s Leadership Bench With All-Female C-Suite [Interview]

After more than 30 years at the helm of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, Lou Taylor is…

Lou Taylor, Peggy Stephens and Heather Kinder. Photo: Courtesy of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group

After more than 30 years at the helm of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, Lou Taylor is entering a new phase of growth for the company she founded. That next chapter is being led by an entirely female executive team.

Tri Star recently granted equity to Peggy Stephens (Chief Operating Officer), Heather Kinder (Chief of Staff) and Deedra Carroll (Chief Deputy Director), formalizing their roles in leading the firm’s operational, strategic and infrastructure development efforts. The move is significant in a sector where fewer than 20 percent of executive leadership roles nationally are held by women.

For Taylor, the decision was rooted in experience and performance, not symbolism.

“All of our clients were super excited for the C-Suite that was granted the equity,” Taylor says. “They took a lot of joy in being able to congratulate all of them and let them know they were appreciated.”

The response from clients reflects the longevity of the relationships Stephens, Kinder and Carroll have built within the firm. Each has played a key role in Tri Star’s expansion across its Nashville and West Hollywood offices, helping to evolve the company into a multi-family office serving high-profile entertainers, entrepreneurs and multi-generational families.

Stephens has focused on operational efficiency and client service systems. Kinder has overseen strategic initiatives and internal development. Carroll has led across systems, risk and team structure, strengthening the firm’s infrastructure as it scales.

Taylor sees the leadership shift as consistent with how Tri Star has operated for years.

"I think women by nature are more organized, specifically in a role as a business manager,” Taylor says. “Women control about 72 to 74% of all expendable income in the household. So if there’s a dollar that comes into the house, roughly 70 cents of that dollar is managed by women—paying for the groceries, the kids, the bills—and then the remaining 20% is what’s left over. Clients are often used to looking at a female as both the CFO of the household and the nurturer."

That dynamic, she says, translates directly to the entertainment space.

“I think it’s a great advantage to be a woman in finance—being able to cultivate a high EQ and understand how people relate to money and what that looks like. You can come at it from a perspective that’s both technically strong and nurturing, and almost educational.”

Entertainment business management requires more than accounting expertise. Artists’ financial decisions intersect with touring cycles, catalog strategy, family considerations and long-term wealth planning. Taylor believes that understanding those layers is part of the job.

The leadership expansion also coincides with a significant acquisition. Tri Star recently acquired The LRW Group, a Miami-based firm serving Fortune 500 clients and high-profile individuals in entertainment and music. The move strengthens Tri Star’s East Coast presence and expands its footprint in private wealth management.

Lou Taylor and Lah Parramore. Photo: Courtesy of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group copy

The connection between Taylor and Lahteefah “Lah” Parramore , founder of The LRW Group, began through shared clients.

“Lah and I met because we ended up representing a duo—I had one half and she had one half,” Taylor says. “Often when you get work from other business managers, it's not always so great. Her work was so good that I actually personally called her myself and said, ‘I just want to let you know your work was great. I'm looking forward to working with you on this.’ So we just automatically became friends over the last three years.”

That professional respect developed into a broader partnership.

“We just built a great relationship in doing that and we're having a lot of fun building that market up,” Taylor says.

Parramore now joins Tri Star as Chief Growth Officer, reporting directly to Taylor and leading the company’s East Coast expansion strategy. With her addition, the firm’s executive leadership team is entirely female.

In a financial services landscape where women remain underrepresented at the highest levels, the structure stands out. For Taylor, it also reflects how she has built the company.

“There are people out there, especially women, who actually put their money where their mouth is and elevate women. They don’t just talk about it,” she says. “There’s proof in my legacy that I’ve historically done that, and I hope it inspires today’s assistants and juniors, who will be tomorrow’s leaders, founders and owners, to follow suit.”

Granting equity to her executive team formalizes a succession structure that positions Tri Star for long-term continuity. As revenue models across the music business continue to shift and financial strategies grow more complex, Taylor says leadership depth is essential.

Tri Star’s evolution into a multi-family office has required expanded advisory capabilities, from tax strategy and risk management to estate planning and wealth preservation. The firm’s client roster spans artists at various career stages, entrepreneurs and established families navigating generational transitions.

Taylor says the internal promotion of Stephens, Kinder and Carroll recognizes the work they have already been doing to support that growth.

“When you have the opportunity, it’s important to exercise it and give people work, especially when they’ve earned it,” she adds.

The acquisition of The LRW Group further broadens the company’s reach, adding Fortune 500 relationships and strengthening its presence in Miami and across the East Coast. Under Parramore’s leadership as Chief Growth Officer, Tri Star is expanding its influence beyond its traditional markets while maintaining its entertainment core.

For Music Row, where women have steadily increased their visibility in creative and executive roles over the past decade, Tri Star’s leadership structure adds another example on the finance side of the business. Business management firms often operate behind the scenes, but their decisions shape the sustainability of artists’ careers.

As the company enters its next phase, Taylor remains focused on strengthening the foundation she built.

The elevation of an all-female executive team is not framed internally as a headline. It is the result of performance, experience and shared ownership. In an industry where succession planning is often opaque, Tri Star has made its path visible.

For younger professionals watching the trajectory of the firm, the message is direct. Advancement and equity are attainable. Leadership can be cultivated internally. And the next generation of business managers may not have to look far to see what that path can look like.