Henry Schein (HSIC) Leerink Global Healthcare Conference 2026 summary

Leadership transition and strategic direction

• New CEO Fred Lowery brings operational excellence and a fresh perspective, energizing the organization and building on a legacy of stability and strong company culture.

• The outgoing CEO remains as chairman, ensuring continuity and retention of institutional knowledge.

• Lowery’s engineering background is seen as an asset for problem-solving and driving innovation.

Market trends and growth strategies

• Dental market shows a slightly more positive tone, with growth still below historical 2–4% but improving over recent years.

• Aggressive customer acquisition and exclusive manufacturer promotions drove strong equipment sales growth in Q4, outpacing the market.

• Focus has shifted from defensive post-cyberattack to offensive market share gains, including hiring experienced sales reps.

• DSO (Dental Service Organization) partnerships are key, with 25 of the 27 largest U.S. DSOs naming the company as primary distributor.

Specialty segment and product innovation

• Specialty dental products, especially implants, are a major growth and margin driver, with the company ranking #3 globally (ex-China) in implants.

• Value implants are gaining traction, especially among general practitioners and DSOs, supported by recent product launches in the U.S.

• Endodontics is a steady, mid-single-digit growth business, while orthodontics remains smaller and focused on leveraging existing infrastructure.

• High-growth, high-margin businesses (specialty dental, technology, value-added services) target over 50% of operating income by 2027.