Leadership

Matt Schroeder serves as chief executive officer, responsible for driving the organization’s business strategy and performance, including Rite Aid’s role as an essential provider of pharmacy services and related products in the communities it serves. His leadership is instrumental in supporting high-performance teams as they execute key initiatives to drive the business forward and deliver superior customer service across Rite Aid’s strong portfolio of stores.

Schroeder has nearly 25 years of leadership experience in optimizing the organization’s financial systems and aligning the company’s strategy to its financial initiatives and performance. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer, responsible for managing the company’s financial verticals, including financial planning and analysis, financial reporting, treasury and accounting. Schroeder’s span of responsibility also included leading Rite Aid’s store development and procurement functions, as well as providing guidance and key decision-making to support enterprisewide operations, including merchandise, supply chain, and store and pharmacy operations. In addition, he has guided Rite Aid’s decisions around capital structure and capital allocation, driving alignment of the company’s strategy and key operational initiatives to financial performance and ensuring efficient decisions around footprint performance and cost management.

Schroeder joined Rite Aid in 2000 as vice president of financial accounting and was promoted to group vice president of strategy, investor relations and treasurer in 2010. In 2017, he was named senior vice president, chief accounting officer and treasurer. Before joining the company, Schroeder worked for Arthur Andersen LLP, where he held several positions of increasing responsibility, including audit manager.

Schroeder holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the board of directors for Whitaker Center for Science and Arts, a not-for profit serving greater Harrisburg, Pa.

Jessica Kazmaier serves as chief administrative officer and chief of staff to the CEO of Rite Aid. In this role, she works with the CEO in strategic planning and decision-making and provides leadership and direction to various corporate departments. Kazmaier is responsible for ensuring all enabling functions align with the company’s overall strategic and financial goals. In addition, she focuses on optimizing effective internal processes, driving technology enablement, mitigating enterprise risk, adhering to legal and regulatory standards, and growing a strong workplace culture.

Most recently, Kazmaier held the role of chief human resources officer since March 2019, as well as chief of staff to the CEO since October 2023. In this dual capacity, she ensured Rite Aid’s culture, communications, programs, policies and experiences delivered on the company’s purpose and objectives. Specifically, she led all aspects of the people strategy, including associate experience, talent management, total rewards and labor relations. Additionally as chief of staff, Kazmaier was responsible for integrating workstreams and eliminating siloes within the company, linking the leadership team with the broader organization and helping make strategic decisions to propel the company forward.

Before joining Rite Aid in 2001, Kazmaier served as retirement manager at Harsco Corporation, where she managed the company’s 401(k) and pension plans. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. From 2019-2023 Kazmaier served as president of the Board of Rite Aid Healthy Futures, the company’s affiliated public charity focused on impacting health disparities in underserved and disadvantaged populations.

Steven Bixler has been named acting chief financial officer, responsible for managing Rite Aid’s financial planning, forecasting, accounting and reporting to align the company’s business strategy to its financial performance and ongoing success.

Bixler has more than 22 years of experience in process management, financial leadership and process improvements, particularly in inventory and revenue accounting, which have been instrumental in helping Rite Aid improve operational efficiency by streamlining its financial analysis, budgeting policies and processes.

Bixler joined Rite Aid in 2001 as an inventory specialist and has earned roles of increasing responsibilities. Most recently, he served as chief accounting officer since January 2023 and previously was vice president of financial accounting, responsible for inventory, revenue, vendor income, payroll and corporate accounting, as well as financial reporting and SOX compliance.

Bixler received his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Juniata College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Bryant Harris currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer at Rite Aid. In this role, Harris oversees all aspects of the merchandising strategy, including product assortment, procurement, pricing, visual merchandising and store design, and works closely with marketing and store operations to deliver consumer-centric shopping experiences. Harris will be responsible for enhancing the merchandising strategy to optimize product mix, bring newness to key categories and implement engaging store experiences that meet customer expectations.

As a high-performing merchandising executive, Harris previously held leadership roles at Wakefern Food Corporation, Save A Lot and Sam’s Club. Before joining Rite Aid, he was Chief Merchandising Officer at Wakefern Food Corporation, where he developed and executed a strategic roadmap that significantly enhanced the company’s merchandising effectiveness and overall performance. Harris modernized and transformed the private brand portfolio at Save A Lot, and while at Sam's Club, managed real estate and business development for 660 locations and led several category divisions, improving item relevancy and driving sustainable growth. While at Sam’s Club, he received the Sam M. Walton “Blue Coat” Award of Excellence, the highest individual honor at the company, for delivering positive business results while embodying company culture and principles.

He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from University of Missouri at St. Louis and is a former U.S. Army Captain.

Teri Schanck currently serves as senior vice president and chief people officer of Rite Aid, overseeing the organization’s human resources function, company culture and associate experience. Previously, she served as group vice president, talent and HR operational excellence, responsible for talent acquisition, talent development and associate experience, HR operations and payroll. Schanck led enterprisewide talent strategies to meet the company’s strategic business priorities while also accelerating HR modernization, standardization and efficiencies within the HR function.

Schanck has over a decade-long tenure at Rite Aid, serving in progressing roles within the company’s human resources team. She started working at Rite Aid in 2012 as senior manager of curriculum design, and eventually undertook the additional role of senior director of training and talent before being promoted to vice president of talent management in 2019. Schanck came to Rite Aid with human resources experience in the healthcare and retail sectors, managing human resources and training functions for Williams-Sonoma and leadership development for Highmark Blue Shield Blue Cross.

Schanck has a master’s in education degree in training and development from Penn State University. She currently serves on the board of directors at Rite Aid Healthy Futures, the company’s public charity. Schanck was named a recipient in the Rising Star category of Drug Store News’ Top Women in Health, Wellness and Beauty in 2019 and was a Lee Hecht Harrison Executive Coaching panelist in 2020.

Joy Errico currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer at Rite Aid. In this role, Errico oversees all aspects of corporate communications, public relations, corporate affairs and crisis communications, while also leading the company’s marketing function, including digital, e-commerce, print, creative, customer loyalty and analytics. Errico is responsible for driving customer engagement through personalized, data-driven marketing and communications strategies that deepen connections with customers and enhance their overall experience. Additionally, she serves as president of the board of directors for Rite Aid’s public charity Rite Aid Healthy Futures. Since 2022, she has been instrumental in transforming the company’s communications and driving synergies with marketing efforts, building a stronger, more connected brand that drives growth and loyalty.

As a results-driven communications executive, Errico previously held global communications and marketing leadership roles at Macy's, Staples, Jumpstart, Avery Dennison, AECOM and BIC. Before joining Rite Aid, she was Vice President and Head of Global Communications for BIC, where she developed a comprehensive communications function and implemented a companywide transformation communications strategy. Errico redefined and modernized store and merchandising communications at Macy’s, and while at Avery Dennison, developed an innovative marketing communications strategy that moved the business into new digital and social realms, driving increased customer engagement.

Errico currently serves as a member of the Customer Advisory Board for The Know, a communications consulting firm and the board of directors for Stonehill College’s Meehan School of Business, SeriousFun Children’s Network, and Girls on the Run International. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Stonehill College.

As a key leader with Rite Aid for more than 20 years, Staniforth currently serves as chief pharmacy officer and leads the company’s pharmacy strategy. She is responsible for overseeing central pharmacy operations, pharmaceutical purchasing, market access strategy and relations, and healthcare analytics. In addition, she leads the clinical team, managing pharmacy growth and clinical programs.

Staniforth’s extensive leadership responsibilities at Rite Aid include her roles as regional pharmacy vice president, division pharmacy vice president and group vice president of pharmacy initiatives and clinical services, and senior vice president, clinical and operational pharmacy services, most recently overseeing pharmacy field operations. In 2014, she was appointed chief operating officer of Health Dialog, a former subsidiary of Rite Aid and a leading provider of population health management solutions. In this role, she executed the strategic vision while managing day-to-day operations of the company. Additionally, she led the planning efforts and transaction services agreement for Rite Aid’s asset purchase agreement with Walgreens in 2017.

Before joining Rite Aid, Staniforth was a pharmacist in Johannesburg, South Africa, and later joined Sandoz, overseeing retail sales operations. She earned her Diploma in Pharmacy from Witwatersrand Technikon in Johannesburg, South Africa. Staniforth currently serves on the executive committee of the board of directors for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).

Christin Bassett was named Acting General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Rite Aid Corporation in July 2024. In this role, she oversees the organization’s legal affairs, including legal, regulatory affairs and privacy. Her leadership is instrumental in guiding the company through legal and regulatory matters, corporate governance issues, and internal and external strategic initiatives. Bassett previously served as Group Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and assisted as Acting General Counsel during a transitional period in 2023.

Bassett brings more than two decades of experience navigating legal business needs for clients and organizations. She started her career at Morgan Lewis and later became partner at Reed Smith. After her first in-house role at AstraZeneca, she served as Executive Director and Senior Counsel at Aetna where she led the Consumer Litigation Team and was Deputy Practice Group Leader for the Commercialized Products group at Otsuka Pharmaceutical. Following this, she joined Rite Aid Corporation in June 2021.

Bassett currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for Darlington Arts Center, which focuses on arts accessibility in underserved communities. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Duke University.

Mary Hendrickson currently serves as senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Rite Aid. In this role, she leads the company’s enterprise-wide compliance efforts, driving the implementation of processes to ensure regulatory adherence, risk mitigation and collaboration with leadership and associates to uphold a culture of compliance.

Prior to joining Rite Aid, Hendrickson was an attorney at Foley & Lardner, supporting clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, and has held a variety of leadership positions within prominent healthcare organizations. Notably, she served as chief compliance officer for a large academic healthcare system, senior vice president of regulatory compliance and ethics at McKesson and held key leadership roles at CVS Health and Walgreens.

She holds a law degree from University of Illinois Chicago Law School, a bachelor of science in pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy, a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from University of Florida, and an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University.