Rite Aid Healthy Futures Adds Three New Board Members
New board members Chris DuPaul, Andrew Persaud, and Susan Thomas
New Members Bring Expertise, Wide-Ranging Backgrounds to Charity Board
CAMP HILL, Pa. – Rite Aid Healthy Futures announced today the addition of three new members to its charity board of directors, all of whom are key company leaders for the Rite Aid Corporation and Elixir, the company’s pharmacy benefits manager.
Andre Persaud, Chief Retail Officer for Rite Aid, along with Elixir executives Susan Thomas, Senior Vice President, Growth and Retention, and Chris DuPaul, Chief Operating Officer are the latest appointments to the board. Their additions will pave the way for new perspectives and neighborhood engagement for Healthy Futures, a public charity focused on advancing racial and health equity in Rite Aid communities.
The new board members also bring with them a wide variety of career experience that will help elevate the charity’s work to bring vital resources and empower neighborhoods in Rite Aid’s footprint. Persaud, DuPaul, and Thomas bring a combined total of more than 70 years of experience in their respective fields to the board.
“Both the board and charity staff are energized by the addition of these new members, all of whom have fantastic experience in their industries and a true passion for our mission,” said Jessica Kazmaier, president of the Rite Aid Healthy Futures board and chief human resources officer for Rite Aid. “As Rite Aid Healthy Futures continues its efforts to drive change in underserved communities, we remain committed to growing our practices of good governance and organizational excellence. We look forward to working with our new board members as we continue on our journey to becoming a best-in-class charity.”
Andre Persaud, Chief Retail Officer, Rite Aid Corporation
Persaud began his career as a pharmacist in 1994 and is now an accomplished executive with more than 25 years of retail experience. Persaud was promoted from Rite Aid’s executive vice president of retail to chief retail officer in 2021, and currently oversees the Rite Aid retail pharmacy business.
Persaud holds both a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and a Master of Business Administration, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Before joining the Rite Aid Corporation in 2020, Persaud served as an executive consultant at Wakefern Food Corporation and executive vice president of retail at Shopko.
Persaud’s experience as both a pharmacist and leadership executive will provide the board with a closer connection to Rite Aid staff and pharmacists, whose trusted expertise is essential to improving the health and wellness of Rite Aid communities.
Chris DuPaul, Chief Operating Officer, Elixir
An experienced healthcare professional, DuPaul is a member of the executive leadership team for Rite Aid Corporation. At Elixir, DuPaul leads day-to-day operations across commercial and government lines of business and serves as chairman of Elixir Insurance Corporation’s board of directors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and Master of Business Administration from Darden Graduate School.
Before joining Elixir in 2021, DuPaul was group president at Myers Industries, a diversified global manufacturing and distribution company. DuPaul has also held several leadership positions at CVS Health.
Chris brings to the board a deep understanding of driving growth in organizations and insight into the pharmacy services industry.
Susan Thomas, Senior Vice President Growth and Retention, Elixir
With over 30 years of experience in health care, Susan Thomas brings a depth of knowledge and leadership to her position as senior vice president of growth and retention at Elixir. Thomas leads the Elixir sales and account management teams that serve employer, labor and health plan markets. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and is a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, also from the University of Virginia.
Prior to joining Elixir in 2019, Thomas served as vice president and general manager for health plan at OptumRx.
Thomas’ real-world nursing experiences and health care leadership history provide her with crucial knowledge about the pharmacy industry, in both clinical and retail venues.
About Rite Aid Healthy Futures
Rite Aid Healthy Futures, formerly known as The Rite Aid Foundation, is a public charity dedicated to driving change in communities, with emphasis on underserved neighborhoods, focusing on the areas of health, wellness, race and equity. Together with our donors, Rite Aid associates, community partners and neighbors, we help lift up local neighborhoods through caring actions and investments that make a real difference in people’s lives. Healthy Futures is proud to be affiliated with Rite Aid, which provides an array of whole being health products and services for the entire family through over 2,350 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. Visit www.RiteAidHealthyFutures.org to learn more.
About Rite Aid Corporation
Rite Aid is a full-service pharmacy that improves health outcomes. Rite Aid is defining the modern pharmacy by meeting customer needs with a wide range of vehicles that offer convenience, including retail and delivery pharmacy, as well as services offered through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Elixir, Bartell Drugs and Health Dialog. Elixir, Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits and services company, consists of accredited mail and specialty pharmacies, prescription discount programs and an industry leading adjudication platform to offer superior member experience and cost savings. Health Dialog provides healthcare coaching and disease management services via live online and phone health services. Regional chain Bartell Drugs has supported the health and wellness needs in the Seattle area for more than 130 years. Rite Aid employs more than 6,400 pharmacists and operates more than 2,350 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. For more information, visit www.riteaid.com.
Elixir, a fully owned subsidiary of Rite Aid Corporation, is a pharmacy services provider that offers pharmacy benefit management services, Medicare-approved prescription drug plans, mail and specialty pharmacy solutions, and prescription discount programs to millions of members nationwide. With the unique ability to optimize the full pharmacy care experience, Elixir is crafting solutions for today’s pharmacy benefits challenges. For more information, visit elixirsolutions.com.
###
Media Contact
Emelia Gabbert-Payne
Communications Specialist
Rite Aid Healthy Futures
emelia.gabbert-payne@riteaid.com
267-576-2460 (Text messages OK)
