• Distributors' perspectives on sales effectiveness
• How distributors are building collaborative cross-departmental sales teams
• The shift toward data-driven sales strategies
• The use of AI to streamline sales, enhance personalization and drive efficiency
• The rising importance of omnichannel capabilities
• The challenges distributors face in implementing digital sales strategies

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About the authors:

Ian Heller
Founder & Senior Partner
Distribution Strategy Group

Ian Heller has more than 30 years of experience executing marketing and e-business strategy in the wholesale distribution industry. He has written and spoken extensively on the impact of digital disruption on distributors.

Ian entered the distribution industry as a truck unloader at a Grainger branch while in college. He eventually became Vice President of Marketing there and has since held senior executive roles at GE Capital, Corporate Express, Newark Electronics and HD Supply. Ian most recently served as President and COO for Modern Distribution Management, a specialized information and analytics firm serving the wholesale distribution industry.

Ian earned a BA in History from Roosevelt University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was elected commencement speaker by his classmates and won the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award.

Brian Hopkins
Chief Customer Officer
Distribution Strategy Group

Brian Hopkins is recognized for his expertise in customer service and operational efficiency within the industrial distribution sector. His career trajectory showcases a series of impactful leadership roles, marked by innovation and strategic growth.

Notably, at W.W. Grainger (2002-2011), Brian significantly enhanced call center operations, and deployed the Grainger strategy by leading an operational staff of 7 direct reports and more than 800 employees in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa Call Centers. His tenure as District Branch Operations Manager and Branch Manager demonstrated his proficiency in managing large-scale operations, overseeing 18 branches with $200 million in revenue, and effectively running a $25 million branch operation.

Subsequent roles include driving operational and customer service transformation at HD Supply Power Solutions (2011-2015), leading customer experience innovations at Hisco (2015-2020), and enhancing multi-site customer service strategies at Redi Carpet (2020-2022) and AZP Multifamily (2022-2023).