Marguerite Walsh, VP of Product Merchandising at Henry Schein Dental

Dental Products Report, Dental Products Report-2011-09-01, Issue 9

After more than 30 years in the dental distribution industry, Marguerite Walsh still feels the same passion she felt in the very beginning, dating back to her very first job working for a local dental distributor while still in high school. 

After more than 30 years in the dental distribution industry, Marguerite Walsh still feels the same passion she felt in the very beginning, dating back to her very first job working for a local dental distributor while still in high school. 

Recently named vice president of product merchandising for Henry Schein Dental, the U.S. dental division of Henry Schein, Inc., the largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners, Marguerite has seen the industry evolve significantly over the years.

“It is fascinating to see the tremendous advances made in dental products and technology available to improve practice efficiency and the quality of patient care,” Marguerite said.  

Marguerite says one of the most exciting parts of her job is the opportunity to work directly with Henry Schein’s suppliers. “We have terrific supplier partners, and I love working with them collaboratively to develop the most effective plans to bring their products to market.”

The most rewarding part of her job, however, is nurturing the growth of her team. Today, Marguerite oversees a 13-member product management team and is responsible for all of Henry Schein Dental’s merchandise products. “I feel so fortunate to think that I have helped contribute to other people’s growth in the company,” she said.

Marguerite and her team, along with Henry Schein Creative Services, also produce the industry-leading annual Henry Schein Merchandise Catalog, featuring more than 1,200 pages of leading dental products and services.

One challenge during her 20 years at Henry Schein Dental was when her department switched from a task-oriented organization to one that has team members assigned to specific product categories.  

“It has been exciting to see the team grow over the years,” she said, “and I am proud to say that we have the most talented, experienced and well respected teams of product category managers in the industry.”