Henry Schein taps Frederick Lowery as company's first Black CEO

Henry Schein Inc., Long Island’s largest public company by revenue, has appointed Frederick M. Lowery as its next CEO, replacing longtime leader Stanley M. Bergman, the company announced Monday.

The Melville-based company, a distributor of branded and private-label products for dentist and physician offices, said Lowery will assume the role on March 2. Lowery, 54, will be the first Black chief executive and the company's fourth CEO in Henry Schein's 94-year history, the company confirmed.

Bergman, 76, who has worked at the company for more than 45 years — including 35 years as CEO — will stay on as chairman of the board to “ensure a smooth and effective leadership transition,” Henry Schein said in a news release.

“I am honored to join Henry Schein at such a pivotal moment,” Lowery said in a statement. “This is an organization with immense potential to impact clinicians and patients, given its remarkable reputation for innovation, customer service, and partnership.”

Lowery added that he looks forward to working with “Team Schein” to build on Bergman’s foundation “while accelerating value creation.”

Bergman said in a statement that he was “very pleased” to welcome Lowery.

“Beyond his extensive operational experience, he brings a leadership philosophy that reflects the values that have long defined our Company,” Bergman said. “Fred understands the critical role we play in supporting dental and medical practitioners, and he is exceptionally well equipped to lead Henry Schein into its next phase of growth.”

Lowery has worked in the health care industry for more than 20 years, most recently as executive vice president and president of laboratory products and bioproduction at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Massachusetts-based life sciences and laboratory equipment company.

He previously held leadership roles at Maytag Corp. and General Motors, Henry Schein said. Lowery earned a master’s degree in manufacturing management from Kettering University in Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University.

“As a long-standing Fortune 500 company, Henry Schein is one of Long Island’s economic powerhouses with a history of job creation and community stewardship," Matt Cohen, president and CEO of the Long Island Association business group, said in a statement to Newsday. "I am confident that Mr. Lowery will draw on his decades of expertise to build on Stanley Bergman’s impactful legacy."

Phil Andrews, president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, said Lowery's appointment is a reflection of the diversification of Long Island's business community. 

"I think it's amazing news and just shows you that talent comes from all different types of groups," Andrews said. “It’s an inspiration to everybody. It’s not an easy task to rise to that level of accomplishment, no matter your ethnic group."

Only eight, or 1.6%, of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies were Black in 2025, according to Fortune magazine.

Last July, Henry Schein announced Bergman's retirement and that the company's board had formally started its search for search for his replacement. 

Under Bergman's leadership, the global distributor of dental, veterinary and medical products and services grew revenue from $225 million in 1989 to nearly $13 billion last year, the company said following his retirement. 

News of the native South African's retirement came after a period of investor unrest in which activist investors pushed the company to develop a succession plan for Bergman in 2024.

“Obviously it’s tough to replace a legend in Stanley Bergman, that is for sure," said Jeffrey D. Johnson, a medical technology analyst at Baird, a Milwaukee-based investment firm. 

Johnson said while Lowery's resume is impressive, his role at Thermo was not investor-facing, so much remains to be seen about how he will lead the company, especially considering Bergman's long-held reputation as a "bulldog" and "tough negotiator."

“He seems to check a lot of the boxes, but he doesn’t have experience in the dental industry," Johnson said. "That might mean it takes Mr. Lowery a little longer to ramp that side of the business."

Shares of Henry Schein closed at $76.13 on the Nasdaq Monday, up 48 cents year-to-date.