PHILADELPHIA _ Thomas Sabatino has joined Rite Aid as chief legal officer. He will play a pivotal role in the company’s strategy to help create meaningful customer, client, and member experiences for millions of Americans. As chief legal officer, he will oversee legal affairs, including enterprise risk management, compliance, regulatory affairs, and privacy.

Thomas Sabatino

“As we continue to accelerate our performance and grow our capabilities, we are pleased to welcome Tom to the Rite Aid team,” said interim CEO Busy Burr. “We believe Tom’s proven leadership and extensive background in the healthcare industry and company transformations will help us further our mission to provide whole health for life to all of our customers.”

Sabatino will become a member of the company’s executive leadership team and report to Burr. He brings four decades of experience in the legal field navigating complex business needs. He was most recently general counsel at Tenneco Inc. His expertise runs deep in the healthcare industry with previous executive roles at Aetna, Walgreen Boots Alliance, Schering Plough Corp., and Baxter International Inc., where in each instance he was instrumental in driving large-scale growth and operational effectiveness.

He serves as a member of the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United States and the South Florida Wildlife Center. He is chair emeritus of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution and is on the board of advisors of the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.

“This is an exciting time to join Rite Aid and be part of a performance-driven workforce focused on revitalizing operations and making a meaningful impact on improving health outcomes for all people,” said Sabatino. “I look forward to supporting these efforts while strengthening our internal legal, compliance, and governance-related capabilities so that Rite Aid remains uniquely positioned to realize its vision for the modern pharmacy.”