John serves as the Senior Vice President of Pharmacy at H-E-B, a position he has held since May 2024. John and his team are responsible for strategic planning, operations, contracting, and all services that support H-E-B Pharmacy Partners (employees) in over 300 pharmacy locations in Texas.

Steven C. Anderson is president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, an industry that has annual sales of more than $1 trillion, employs more than 3.2 million individuals, and works with suppliers and other partners to help meet the health, wellness, and daily needs of patients and consumers across America.

Rick Gates is the Senior Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Walgreens, based in Deerfield, Ill. Pharmacy is the foundation of Walgreens business and critical to achieving the company’s vision to reimagine local healthcare and wellbeing for all. As Chief Pharmacy Officer, Rick brings over 25 years of experience as a pharmacist at Walgreens to the organization’s efforts to evolve the future of pharmacy in healthcare, broaden pharmacy services and oversees pharmacy operations. Rick also plays a key role in aligning and advancing the Walgreens pharmacy with the U.S. Healthcare division.