For 35 years, Stanley M. Bergman ran Henry Schein Inc. with a steady hand, driving revenues from $225 million in the late 1990s to nearly $13 billion today.
Bergman, the CEO of Henry Schein Inc., a Melville-based distributor of products for dentists and physicians, took center stage at industry conferences worldwide when he warned of the strong possibility of global pandemics — years before Covid-19 swept across the globe, starting in China in 2019, and striking the U.S. in January 2020.
In January, Henry Schein, Long Island’s largest publicly-traded company in terms of revenues, announced that Bergman, 76, will be stepping down from his post and is to be replaced by Frederick M. Lowery, a 54-year-old veteran of the health-care industry. Bergman will remain as the company’s board chairman “to ensure a smooth and effective leadership transition,” the company said. Bergman has been with the company for a total of 45 years.
Lowery was to take over as CEO on March 2. He is Henry Schein’s fourth CEO in its 94-year history. Lowery is also the company’s first Black CEO.
“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 said he is eager to work with “Team Schein” to build on the company’s foundation “while accelerating value creation.”
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Bergman offered a hearty welcome to 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.”
Henry Schein, now a multibillion-dollar company, had humble roots. It began as a small storefront pharmacy in Queens in 1923, founded by Henry Schein, a pharmacist, and his wife, Esther Schein. The Scheins in the early days focused on serving the local Queens neighborhood. In the 1950s, the Scheins added a mail-order business.
In the early 1970s, the company focused on serving dentists, emphasizing discounted prices. In 1984, Henry Schein became the first company in its industry to completely automate its distribution system. A decade later, Henry Schein became a publicly traded company, listed on the NASDAQ exchange.
In 1997, Henry Schein began what became a tradition of making acquisitions. That year, it became the largest healthcare distributor, serving office-based dental and medical practitioners, acquiring two companies: Sullivan Dental Products and Dentrix Dental Systems.
Lowery takes over at a time when the healthcare industry is facing dramatic changes in funding as Congress debates the future of government-backed Medicare and Medicaid programs. Doctors and dentists are also facing higher insurance costs.
Another uncertainty is what role Artificial Intelligence will play in the healthcare industry’s future. But best guesses are that AI will play a role, possibly in diagnostics, possibly reducing the human role in treatment.
According to Fortune magazine, only 1.6% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies were Black in 2025. Phil Andrews, president of the Long Island African-American Chamber of Commerce, told the Press that times are changing in the top echelons of corporate suites.
“I think that other companies are going to take a look at people despite the color of their skin for CEO jobs,” Andrews said. “This is a positive sign at a time of anti-DEI,” (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.) The Trump administration has made a point of dismissing DEI initiatives.
Lowery has an extensive background in the industry and in management. He was most recently executive vice president and president of Laboratory Products and BioProduction at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Before that, he worked at Maytag Corp and General Motors in executive positions.
He has a master’s degree in manufacturing management from Kettering University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technology University.
Phil Laskawy, director and chair of the nominating committee at Henry Schein, said, “After a comprehensive search process, we are confident that Fred is the right successor to honor Henry Schein’s proud heritage … He had the combination of experience and capabilities necessary to accelerate growth and value creation.”
