After Luigi Mangione made the difficult decision to undergo spinal surgery last year for chronic back pain, he became a proponent of the procedure that changed his life for the better.
He repeatedly posted on Reddit about his recovery and offered words of encouragement for people with similar conditions, telling them to push back against doctors who suggested they had to live with pain.
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This photo shows the exterior of the apartment complex where the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect lived in Honolulu, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jennifer Kelleher)
This photo, provided by the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, receiving a citation for failing to observe a posted closed-area sign, in Honolulu, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. (Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources via AP)
Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. (Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)
This photo provided by Pennsylvania State Police shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, at the police station in Altoona, Pa., on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (Pennsylvania State Police via AP)
Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. (Janet Klingbeil via AP)
But notably absent from the posts are explicit concerns about corporate greed in the health insurance industry. Those appear to have surfaced only later: in a handwritten note found after Mangione was detained as a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
That short document references “parasites” in the health care system and laments the power and profits of health insurers, according to law enforcement officials. During his first public words since his arrest in Pennsylvania, Mangione emerged from a patrol car shouting about an “insult to the intelligence of the American people” while sheriff’s deputies pushed him into a courthouse.
There’s no indication Mangione was ever insured by UnitedHealthcare, a senior New York City police official said in an interview Thursday with NBC New York.
The killing has nonetheless prompted widespread speculation about whether he had a bad personal experience with the health care system. But after his 2023 surgery, Mangione’s Reddit posts suggest he was overwhelmingly pleased with the outcome and finally relieved of chronic pain. He encouraged others not to be frightened by horror stories of surgeries gone bad. He also referenced a backpacking trip to Asia earlier this year.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate appears to have stopped posting on social media roughly six months ago, around the time he lost touch with loved ones.
Family and friends expressed shock at news of Mangione’s arrest, but little information has emerged about his recent mental and physical health.
Mangione’s Reddit posts reference a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis, which occurs when a fracture causes a vertebra to slip out of alignment. It can result in severe pain if the bone puts pressure on spinal nerves.
The condition, which can originate in childhood or from an injury, started negatively impacting Mangione’s life in recent years, according to his social media posts.
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, he worked at the Santa Monica-based car-buying website TrueCar until 2023 and lived in Hawaii for some time starting in January 2022. During a six-month stay at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space in Honolulu, Mangione’s back pain worsened in part because of a surfing incident.
Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for the owner and founder of Surfbreak, R.J. Martin, said Mangione had expressed growing concerns about the pain. In addition to missing out on recreational activities and exercise, he was worried about how it could affect romantic relationships.
“That was definitely a theme in his time there,” Ryan said. “He wasn’t a big complainer. So it wasn’t like he was bringing it up constantly. But the people who knew him knew this was a significant part of his life.”
In July 2023, Mangione wrote in a Reddit post that he had decided to get surgery.
“I got caught in this loop for a year, all the while putting my life on hold in my 20’s and damaging my nerves while I waffled on the decision. I have surgery scheduled in two weeks and I keep wondering why I was so afraid of it,” he wrote.
According to his posts, the operation was a success.
An image posted to an X account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into his lower spine.
“Surgery was painful for the first couple days, but I was shocked that by day 7 I was on literally zero pain meds,” Mangione posted on Reddit in August 2023. “Obviously will be awhile until I get into rigorous activity, but it was way less of a big deal than I had anticipated.”
Medical experts say treating back pain is almost always a challenge.
“In the gross majority of treatments, surgery is when everything else has failed to provide relief,” said Dr. Jason Pittman, co-director of the Spine Center at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He said doctors generally try conservative treatments like physical therapy, injections or medications before surgery.
Even people with health insurance can face thousands of dollars in bills from a surgery depending on their deductible and other factors, though it’s unclear whether Mangione experienced any of those issues.
Experiencing chronic back pain can also significantly impact mental health, said Dr. Padma Gulur, a pain specialist with Duke Health.
“If you have underlying mental health issues — anxiety, depression — your pain can be worse because you have way more suffering,” Gulur said. “But, the second aspect is pain can push you into anxiety and depression.”
Little is known about Mangione’s mental state in recent months, but it appears he was withdrawing from close relationships. Since-deleted posts on X show a friend repeatedly reaching out and getting no response.
His family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November, police said.
Earlier, while in college, Mangione posted on Reddit about experiencing severe brain fog and restless sleep.
In a July 2018 post, he said his grades were suffering and he had considered dropping out of school. But ultimately, “staying in college has at least let me maintain some semblance of normality,” he wrote.
His last Reddit post is dated May 17, but other statements around that time suggest he wasn’t experiencing unexpected complications or renewed back pain. He appears to be advocating for the type of surgery he received months earlier.
He posted in early April about the gear he brought on a two-month backpacking trip through Asia that included some cross-country motorcycling, saying he had found “the perfect balance between minimalism and practicality.”
In late April, he advised another Reddit user with a back problem to “keep trying different surgeons” and, if necessary, convey an inability to keep working.
“We live in a capitalist society," he wrote. "I’ve found that the medical industry responds to these key words far more urgently than you describing unbearable pain and how it’s impacting your quality of life.”
Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Skene reported from Baltimore. Associated Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis and Devi Shastri in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
This photo shows the exterior of the apartment complex where the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect lived in Honolulu, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jennifer Kelleher)
This photo, provided by the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, receiving a citation for failing to observe a posted closed-area sign, in Honolulu, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. (Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources via AP)
Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. (Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)
This photo provided by Pennsylvania State Police shows Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, at the police station in Altoona, Pa., on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (Pennsylvania State Police via AP)
Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pa. (Janet Klingbeil via AP)
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the world’s largest provider of healthcare solutions to office-based dental and medical professionals, today announced the appointment of Frederick M. Lowery as its new Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), effective March 2, 2026, at which time he will join the Board of Directors. Mr. Lowery succeeds Stanley M. Bergman, who will step down as CEO after 35 years and continue to serve as Chairman of the Board to ensure a smooth and effective leadership transition.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260111291084/en/
Mr. Lowery brings more than two decades of healthcare expertise to Henry Schein, with a strong track record of scaling complex businesses to drive significant growth and sustained value creation. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and President, Laboratory Products and BioProduction at Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO), leading the Fisher Scientific distribution channel’s above-market performance. His experience growing distribution and owned product businesses – including manufacturing, R&D, marketing, and sales functions – closely aligns with Henry Schein’s business model, positioning him well to guide the Company’s next phase of growth and continued execution of its BOLD+1 strategic plan.
“I am honored to join Henry Schein at such a pivotal moment. This is an organization with immense potential to impact clinicians and patients, given its remarkable reputation for innovation, customer service, and partnership,” said Mr. Lowery. “I look forward to working with Team Schein to build on the strong foundation established by Stan while accelerating value creation.”
Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Mr. Lowery worked in leadership roles for Maytag Corporation and General Motors. He holds a master’s degree in manufacturing management from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute of Engineering and Management) and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University.
“I am very pleased to welcome Fred to Henry Schein. Beyond his extensive operational experience, he brings a leadership philosophy that reflects the values that have long defined our Company,” said Mr. Bergman. “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.”
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Stan for his exceptional leadership and invaluable contributions over more than three decades,” said Phil Laskawy, Lead Director and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee at Henry Schein. “After a comprehensive search process, we are confident that Fred is the right successor to honor Henry Schein’s proud heritage. With extensive commercial, logistics, and manufacturing expertise, and a focus on customer satisfaction, he has the combination of experience and capabilities necessary to accelerate growth and value creation.”
“We are excited about our strategic partnership with Henry Schein and look forward to supporting the next chapter of the Company’s journey under Fred’s leadership,” said Max Lin, Board Member and Vice Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee at Henry Schein and Partner at KKR. “We believe Fred brings a unique combination of healthcare distribution experience, operational best practices, and accountable leadership that will accelerate our strategic initiatives and further differentiate Henry Schein as a world-class business.”
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
In accordance with the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we provide the following cautionary remarks regarding important factors that, among others, could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, expectations and assumptions expressed or implied herein. All forward-looking statements made by us are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
These statements are generally identified by the use of such terms as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “anticipate,” “to be,” “to make” or other comparable terms. A fuller discussion of our operations, financial condition and status of litigation matters, including factors that may affect our business and future prospects, is contained in documents we have filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, and will be contained in all subsequent periodic filings we make with the SEC. These documents identify in detail important risk factors that could cause our actual performance to differ materially from current expectations.
Risk factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current and historical results include, but are not limited to: our dependence on third parties for the manufacture and supply of our products and where we manufacture products, our dependence on third parties for raw materials or purchased components; risks relating to the achievement of our strategic growth objectives, including anticipated results of restructuring and value creation initiatives; risks related to the Strategic Partnership Agreement with KKR Hawaii Aggregator L.P. entered into in January 2025; transitions in senior company leadership; our ability to develop or acquire and maintain and protect new products (particularly technology and specialty products) and services and utilize new technologies that achieve market acceptance with acceptable margins; transitional challenges associated with acquisitions and joint ventures, including the failure to achieve anticipated synergies/benefits, as well as significant demands on our operations, information systems, legal, regulatory, compliance, financial and human resources functions in connection with acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures; certain provisions in our governing documents that may discourage third-party acquisitions of us; adverse changes in supplier rebates or other purchasing incentives; risks related to the sale of corporate brand products; risks related to activist investors; security risks associated with our information systems and technology products and services, such as cyberattacks or other privacy or data security breaches (including the October 2023 incident); effects of a highly competitive (including, without limitation, competition from third-party online commerce sites) and consolidating market; political, economic, and regulatory influences on the health care industry; risks from expansion of customer purchasing power and multi-tiered costing structures; increases in shipping costs for our products or other service issues with our third-party shippers, and increases in fuel and energy costs; changes in laws and policies governing manufacturing, development and investment in territories and countries where we do business; general global and domestic macro-economic and political conditions, including inflation, deflation, recession, unemployment (and corresponding increase in under-insured populations), consumer confidence, sovereign debt levels, fluctuations in energy pricing and the value of the U.S. dollar as compared to foreign currencies and changes to other economic indicators failure to comply with existing and future regulatory requirements, including relating to health care; risks associated with the EU Medical Device Regulation; failure to comply with laws and regulations relating to health care fraud or other laws and regulations; failure to comply with laws and regulations relating to the collection, storage and processing of sensitive personal information or standards in electronic health records or transmissions; changes in tax legislation, changes in tax rates and availability of certain tax deductions; risks related to product liability, intellectual property and other claims; risks associated with customs policies or legislative import restrictions; risks associated with disease outbreaks, epidemics, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), or similar wide-spread public health concerns and other natural or man-made disasters; risks associated with our global operations; the threat or outbreak of war (including, without limitation, geopolitical wars), terrorism or public unrest (including, without limitation, the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza war and other unrest and threats in the Middle East and the possibility of a wider European or global conflict); changes to laws and policies governing foreign trade, tariffs and sanctions or greater restrictions on imports and exports, including changes to international trade agreements and the current imposition of (and the potential for additional) tariffs by the U.S. on numerous countries and retaliatory tariffs; supply chain disruption; litigation risks; new or unanticipated litigation developments and the status of litigation matters; our dependence on our senior management (including, without limitation, the transition to a new CEO), employee hiring and retention, increases in labor costs or health care costs, and our relationships with customers, suppliers and manufacturers; and disruptions in financial markets. The order in which these factors appear should not be construed to indicate their relative importance or priority.
We caution that these factors may not be exhaustive and that many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements contained herein should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no duty and have no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.
About Henry Schein, Inc.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a solutions company for health care professionals powered by a network of people and technology. With more than 25,000 Team Schein Members worldwide, the Company's network of trusted advisors provides more than 1 million customers globally with more than 300 valued solutions that help improve operational success and clinical outcomes. Our Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions help office-based dental and medical practitioners work more efficiently so they can provide quality care more effectively. These solutions also support dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, as well as other alternate care sites.
Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 300,000 branded products and Henry Schein corporate brand products in our distribution centers.
A FORTUNE 500 Company and a member of the S&P 500® index, Henry Schein is headquartered in Melville, N.Y., and has operations or affiliates in 33 countries and territories. The Company's sales reached $12.7 billion in 2024, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 11.2 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995.
For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein, Instagram.com/HenrySchein, LinkedIn.com/Company/HenrySchein, and @HenrySchein on X.
Frederick M. Lowery
