Engage, Learn & Lead!

Join your ISA Chair Jeff Bigelow, Vice Chair Maria Ford and Ed Gerber as they kick-off ISA 21. You will learn the vision and purpose behind ISA 21, what to expect over the next several days, how to maximize your engagement and get the most out of your experience. Top off your coffee and get ready for a value added jam packed agenda and virtual experience! ISA 21 – Where whole company engagement leads to whole company success!

Speaker Bios:

Jeff serves as the President and CEO of Hubbard Supply Co. He and his business partner acquired the company in 2007 after several years of jointly managing the business under its prior ownership. In addition to being an Executive Committee Director for the Industrial Supply Association and its current Chair, Jeff is a past Chair and current member of the ISD Board of Affiliated Distributors, is a member of the AD ISD E-Commerce Advisory Council and is a current supplyForce board director.

Jeff is an experienced leader working in the industrial supply channel having joined Hubbard Industrial Supply in 1992 as Program Development Manager eventually taking on the responsibility of sales, sales management, and overall business development strategy for the company. He is a passionate advocate of the channel, attracting talent to it, and the success of those that are building careers in it.

Jeff lives in Flushing, Michigan with his wife Stephanie and has two children, Brandon (Brittany) 33 and Megan 23.

Maria Ford is the President of North America Industrial / Commercial Sales & Marketing at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. An experienced sales and marketing president with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry, she is a strong sales professional skilled in market planning, sales, sales operations, sales management, and pricing strategy. She is currently the vice chair of the ISA Board of Directors.

Ed is the President and CEO of the Industrial Supply Association. Prior to joining ISA in 2016, he was the Executive Vice President for the Industrial Distribution Group (IDG) where he led the re-engineering and execution of IDG’s go to market strategy which ultimately led to the acquisition by Sonepar in 2014. During this transition, Ed helped lead the integration of IDG and Hagemeyer which has since been rebranded as Vallen. Prior to IDG, Ed served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Sandvik CTT group leading Sandvik’s first multi-brand strategy for the North American market which has since been rebranded as Walter Tools. With 30+ years’ experience in executive leadership roles in distribution and manufacturing, Ed has a deep understanding of industrial supply channels and brings a unique perspective to our conversation.

Virtual Sales Call Mastery: Creating World Class Video Sales Presentations Every Time

Are you looking to be truly GREAT when meeting with prospects and customers over video?

Want to learn the very specific strategies, tips, and techniques that will ensure your customers not only turn their cameras on, but also allow you to truly be the authority on the call while powerfully advancing the sale?

If you’re nodding your head, this is one session you won’t want to miss from Digital Sales and Marketing expert Marcus Sheridan.

Some of you may have attended Marcus’s highly-rated ISA SalesWerks presentation where he did a high level overview of the basics to effective virtual sales calls. During this session, he’ll take those best practices and go deeper with each, taking attendees from simply “knowing the best practices” to “mastering the best practices.”

If you’re ready to have the best video sales calls you’ve ever delivered, while shortening sales customer sales cycles and increasing closing rates, make sure to attend this deeply enlightening and applicable session with Marcus Sheridan.

Speaker’s Bio:

Marcus Sheridan is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker known for his unique ability to excite, engage and motivate live audiences with his simple yet powerful, transformational business approach. Marcus has been dubbed a “Web Marketing Guru” by the New York Times and in 2017 Forbes named Marcus one of 20 “Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss.” Not one to be limited to the stage, Marcus is most often found walking through the crowd, calling audience members by name, and bringing them into his presentation.

As an author of the content marketing guidebook, They Ask, You Answer, Marcus has not only inspired thousands to achieve their potential but has given them the tools they need to get there. Mashable rated his book the “#1 Marketing Book” to read in 2017, and Forbes listed it as one of “11 Marketing Books Every CMO Should Read.” Marcus has been featured in the New York Times, Inc., The Globe and Mail, Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner, and many more.

Marcus has spoken to companies such as Cisco, Bass Pro, Discover Card, Microsoft, eBay, McKesson, Cision, Whirlpool, Moe’s, Genpact, Love Funding Group, and more. He has inspired thousands of audiences and helped millions of people from all over the world to achieve their own success with his “They Ask, You Answer” philosophy. But Marcus’ story didn’t begin on the stage. It started with a business being created and run out of the back of a beat-up pickup truck. Marcus’s experience of saving his swimming pool company, River Pools and Spas, from the economic collapse of 2008 has been featured in multiple books, publications, and university case studies around the world. From its humble beginnings as a three-man company, to one of the largest manufacturers and installers in the country, River Pool and Spas has the most visited pool website in the world, with over 750,000 hits a month.

Marcus’s experience as an entrepreneur and business owner, who had successfully saved his company, led him to opportunities to share his story and help others. What started as speaking from the stage eventually turned into what is today IMPACT, one of the most successful digital sales and marketing agencies in the country.

Within his speaking company, Marcus Sheridan International, Inc., Marcus gives over 70 global keynotes annually where he inspires audiences in the areas of sales, marketing, leadership, and communication.

Bridging the Talent Gap – The ROI of D&I

The most valuable asset a company has by far are the people that make up its workforce. Couple that with the fact that companies in our channel have consistently listed talent recruitment and retention as the #1 challenge facing their business. Join a panel of experts from inside and outside of our industry as they discuss the “what”, “why” and “how” companies can leverage diversity and inclusion programs to bridge the talent gap. This powerful session is the result of deep discussions with the ISA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Taskforce that has been hard at work thinking critically about D&I and other talent related issues impacting our industry. Hear from three task force members as well as Maria Ford, President of North America Industrial / Commercial Sales & Marketing at Stanley Black & Decker and Chuck Delph, President at Vallen as they walk through their company’s individual journeys. Get ready to learn first-hand from those that have already leveraged D&I programs for success.

Speaker Bios:

David Domnisch leads the DuPont Personal Protection (DPP) business which provides chemical, thermal, and mechanical protection to industrial workers and emergency responders around the globe. In this role, he has nearly $1B in P&L responsibility serving a diverse set of industry vertical markets with advanced protective materials and PPE finished products. The DPP portfolio includes Kevlar® fibers and engineered yarns for mechanical protection, Nomex® fibers, fabrics, and apparel for thermal and arc protection, Tyvek® apparel for hazardous particle protection and cleanroom sterility assurance, and Tychem® apparel and gloves for chemical protection.

He joined DuPont in 2000 and began his career as a plant engineer within the DuPont Engineering Polymers business providing high performance Vespel® parts into the Aerospace, Automotive, and Oil & Gas industries. He has since held positions in sales, marketing, strategy, and leadership in a variety of businesses and locations. David is passionate about Safety with more than a decade of experience in the industry. As Global Business Leader for Tyvek® Protective Apparel, he delivered record sales, earnings, and value creation by reshaping the business culture, upgrading talent, improving the speed and effectiveness of new product development, and modernizing the channel strategy, all grounded in a relentless focus on the end-user.

David received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University in South Carolina and received his M.B.A. from Drexel University in Philadelphia, with a focus on International Business. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his two daughters (Abby and Anna) and son (Andrew), and shares his life with Lisa (Jenkins) Domnisch, Global Product Leader of DuPont Shelter, and son (Jack) in a cross-border dynamic with one family & two homes.

Idalia Hill is a Director at PwC leading strategy and operations for CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. In this role, she manages a six-person team and multiple agencies focused on the execution, effectiveness and visibility of the coalition’s impact and initiatives for nearly 1,000 signatory organizations. She works closely with C-suite leaders from Fortune 1000 companies, universities and nonprofits to advance diversity and inclusion priorities across the business community.

Before this role, Idalia led communications for the coalition covering branding, media, signatory communications, digital properties and agreements as well as speaking engagements. Prior to joining PwC, Idalia led the internal and external communications for global corporate citizenship at Boeing. This included the development of the company’s annual Corporate Citizenship Report, the roll-out of a global employee giving and volunteerism platform and all education-related elements of Boeing’s 2016 centennial anniversary. Idalia began her career in public relations at MSLGroup, focusing on healthcare and corporate brand reputation, with a focus on reaching minority communities, before joining Golin where she led various accounts including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Postal Service.

Idalia graduated from Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

Shawn is the Vice President of Business Development at Industrial Supply Company where he has worked for the past 35 years. He serves as a community integrator working as the vice president of the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP, a former Commissioner on the Governor’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission and is on the Executive Board of the Utah Black Round Table. He heads the Utah Multicultural Civic Council, serves on the Board of the Utah Non-Profit Association and is a member of the Utah Manufacturer’s Association Board. Mr. Newell formerly served as Chair of the Workforce and Economic Development Advisory Board at Salt Lake Community College where he served as the Alumni Council President and a Trustee for the College. Shawn is a Civility Ambassador for World Civility through iChange Nations. Additionally, he serves on the Utah 3rd district Court Committee for Self-Represented Parties, Council on Diversity Affairs (CODA), as a former member of the Utah State Board of Education, a President’s Ambassador for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, co-chair on the Salt Lake Chamber Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, Utah State Department of Workforce Services Board, Utah State Bar Commission Board and currently on the Board of Utah System of Higher Education.

Shawn is a graduate of the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College and has a Masters of Management degree from the University of Phoenix. He holds an Executive Leadership Certification from the University of Utah School of Business, a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, and a Leading with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Certificate from the University of Utah.

In Shawn’s spare time he officiates youth sports and BBQs great grub. Mr. Newell is married, the father of three and has five grandchildren.

Maria Ford is the President of North America Industrial / Commercial Sales & Marketing at Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. An experienced sales and marketing president with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry, she is a strong sales professional skilled in market planning, sales, sales operations, sales management, and pricing strategy. She is currently the vice chair of the ISA Board of Directors.

As President, Chuck Delph has full oversight and responsibility for Vallen and its operating companies. Vallen delivers industry-leading solutions and services for MROP and safety products to the customers in the industrial supply market.

Prior to joining Vallen in 2018, Chuck spent 30 years in the electronics industry and was president of Avnet Electronics Marketing from 2016 to 2018. Chuck also served in various roles of general management, operations, and sales leadership over his 26 years at Avnet.

Chuck holds an Executive MBA in Business from Arizona State University.

Moderators:

Ed is the President and CEO of the Industrial Supply Association. Prior to joining ISA in 2016, he was the Executive Vice President for the Industrial Distribution Group (IDG) where he led the re-engineering and execution of IDG’s go to market strategy which ultimately led to the acquisition by Sonepar in 2014. During this transition, Ed helped lead the integration of IDG and Hagemeyer which has since been rebranded as Vallen. Prior to IDG, Ed served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Sandvik CTT group leading Sandvik’s first multi-brand strategy for the North American market which has since been rebranded as Walter Tools. With 30+ years’ experience in executive leadership roles in distribution and manufacturing, Ed has a deep understanding of industrial supply channels and brings a unique perspective to our conversation.

Brendan brings over 10 years’ experience from the association world to ISA. Focused on the evolving needs of our stakeholders, Brendan develops and drives strategies that ensure ISA Leads the Channel Forward ® helping member companies thrive.

Buy, Don’t Lease. Secrets to Hire, Train and Retain the Best Employees.

How does a well-known industrial tooling company create an atmosphere that results in less than a 5% separation rate in its salesforce? Spoiler alert – it’s not the salary.

This presentation will give insight into how Saint-Gobain Abrasives recruits, trains, and retains talent in some of the most challenging times for our industry. Whether it’s existing demographics, generational or competitive challenges – our industry has to work to overcome these headwinds. We’ll speak with stakeholders both from inside and outside of our company to review best practices, experiences, and feedback during this session. We’ll give insight on strategies for finding the best talent while keeping a keen eye on diversifying and strengthening your companies’ teams and bench strength. We’ll cover the critical building blocks to a robust training program and how we integrate sales talent into the industry. Most importantly, we’ll cover tips and tricks to keep your teams engaged, excited, and thriving, whether it’s their 1st or 40th year. Buy, don’t lease.

Speaker Bios:

Pat Baliva is currently Director of Strategy, National Accounts and Application Engineering for Norton/Saint-Gobain Abrasives. He and his Distribution Management team are responsible for Norton’s industrial distribution strategy and North American execution. With 20 years of experience with Norton in various positions throughout North America, including Sales, Technical Business Development, Sales Management, National Sales Management (Canada), and Area Director of Sales, he has been an advocate for building strong, resilient teams and uses his position to define, build, and drive a positive corporate culture in the sales organization. He remains a key stakeholder and supporter of Norton’s North American sales team’s recruitment and training methodology which includes over 150 direct sales employees in the industrial channel alone.

Lori Mata is currently Director of Industrial Distribution for Norton/Saint-Gobain Abrasives. She has worked in customer-facing roles for over 27 years, including the Management of Customer Service, Managing all distribution channels, including integration, independents, nationals, and corporate account management of Norton’s largest end-users in North America. Her in-depth knowledge of market and distribution strategy bolsters her ability to create solutions for some of our industry’s biggest challenges.

Michelle Crimi is a Professor and Director of Engineering & Management (E&M) at Clarkson University. She teaches Team-Based Design & Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship to the first-year E&M students. Her research focuses on developing in situ treatment technologies for groundwater contamination, determining the impact of groundwater technologies on aquifer quality, and integrating treatment technologies for optimized risk reduction. Dr. Crimi earned her B.S. in Industrial Hygiene & Environmental Toxicology at Clarkson, her M.S. in Environmental Health at Colorado State University, and her Ph.D. in Environmental Science & Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

Beyond the Basics of Virtual Selling: From 1-1 Video Emails to Selling on Your Website

Two fundamental facts are affecting sales professionals all over the world today:

1. The buyer demands to know WAY more on the front end of the buying process than they ever did before.
2. Buyers want to feel like THEY control the sales process.

So what exactly do these trends mean for sales professionals?

As sales professionals, we can no longer see our relationship with the client starting “after the handshake”—and must therefore do whatever it takes to earn their trust sooner than we ever have before.

It also means we must find ways during their research phase of the buying process to “give them more control” while still improving our outcomes as sales professionals.

It is for this reason Marcus Sheridan will be delivering an incredibly powerful and practical session that will be diving into two main opportunities for sales professionals:

1.  How to produce world-class emails using 1-1 video (from the tools to the right techniques, this section will show you simple ways to stand out right NOW from your competitor’s email communications.)
2. How to give buyers more control of the sales process on your company website (with the use of self-scheduling, self-selection, and self-pricing tools) while generating MORE trust, qualified leads, and sales.

If you’re looking to seriously standout from the rest of your marketplace, and you want to stay well ahead of the curve, this is a session you will not want to miss!

Speaker’s Bio:

Marcus Sheridan is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker known for his unique ability to excite, engage and motivate live audiences with his simple yet powerful, transformational business approach. Marcus has been dubbed a “Web Marketing Guru” by the New York Times and in 2017 Forbes named Marcus one of 20 “Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss.” Not one to be limited to the stage, Marcus is most often found walking through the crowd, calling audience members by name, and bringing them into his presentation.

As an author of the content marketing guidebook, They Ask, You Answer, Marcus has not only inspired thousands to achieve their potential but has given them the tools they need to get there. Mashable rated his book the “#1 Marketing Book” to read in 2017, and Forbes listed it as one of “11 Marketing Books Every CMO Should Read.” Marcus has been featured in the New York Times, Inc., The Globe and Mail, Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner, and many more.

Marcus has spoken to companies such as Cisco, Bass Pro, Discover Card, Microsoft, eBay, McKesson, Cision, Whirlpool, Moe’s, Genpact, Love Funding Group, and more. He has inspired thousands of audiences and helped millions of people from all over the world to achieve their own success with his “They Ask, You Answer” philosophy. But Marcus’ story didn’t begin on the stage. It started with a business being created and run out of the back of a beat-up pickup truck. Marcus’s experience of saving his swimming pool company, River Pools and Spas, from the economic collapse of 2008 has been featured in multiple books, publications, and university case studies around the world. From its humble beginnings as a three-man company, to one of the largest manufacturers and installers in the country, River Pool and Spas has the most visited pool website in the world, with over 750,000 hits a month.

Marcus’s experience as an entrepreneur and business owner, who had successfully saved his company, led him to opportunities to share his story and help others. What started as speaking from the stage eventually turned into what is today IMPACT, one of the most successful digital sales and marketing agencies in the country.

Within his speaking company, Marcus Sheridan International, Inc., Marcus gives over 70 global keynotes annually where he inspires audiences in the areas of sales, marketing, leadership, and communication.

How to Build a Future Workforce Pipeline through Community Engagement & Awareness

The #1 challenge that consistently comes up from companies within our channel, is the ability to attract next gen top talent to our industry. With digital transformation, industry 4.0 and the evolution of customer facing roles and touchpoints, the potential for rewarding careers within our channel is greater than ever. Now, it’s up to all of us to deliver this message in a way that resonates with the next generation workforce. This presentation will inspire and encourage our industrial channel to look at their local communities as the starting point in creating enthusiasm about our industry in the hearts and minds of graduating seniors. By taking the lead and getting engaged, companies can develop the momentum needed to draw a pipeline of talent right in your own backyard. Learn how a leading manufacturer and distributor are tapping into the local potential by getting involved in education and skill development within their local grade school, high school, Community Colleges and Universities.

Key Takeaways:

• Identifying those hidden opportunities in your backyard.
• Ideas on how to get involved.
• Get examples from both Manufacturers and Distributors on what has worked
• Learn about nontraditional ways to discover talent

Speaker Bios:

Patrick Curry is a leader in manufacturing who has significantly impacted sales, quality improvement, and on-time delivery for the companies dramatically improving the topline and bottom-line of each company. Patrick is President and Partner of Fullerton Tool Company, Fullerton HB Reconditioning Center, Carbro USA, manufacturers of precision-made solid carbide cutting tools. He is also, President and Owner of Endurance Carbide, a manufacturer of carbide dies, bushings, gages, punches, and quills. He is a third generation Curry involved in the Curry Family of Companies and continues to invest in equipment, facilities, and personnel development for the Curry Family of Companies. As President, Patrick is responsible for creating and leading the company’s vision and implementing the necessary strategies to enable that vision for the Curry Family of Companies.

Patrick gives back to the manufacturing industry and local community through his service on a variety of Boards and Committees, including the Michigan Manufacturing Association, MMTC Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Great Lakes Manufacturing Association, and the Saginaw Future. He was named Michigan Manufacturer of the Year in 2014 and also received the Michigan Economic Bright Spot Award.

Patrick earned his BSBA in Industrial Engineering and Production Management from Central Michigan University. Patrick and his wife reside in Saginaw, Michigan and have 3 children together – Greyson, Aidan, and Isabella. Patrick is active in community youth sports programs and enjoys traveling, golfing, fishing, and hunting in his leisure time.

Jim began his career at the P. F. Markey Company an Industrial Distributor of Cutting Tools and Abrasives, in inside sales in 1986. Jim became a junior partner in 1994 and in 2000 Jim purchased the company from Paul Markey, who founded PFMI in 1977.

Jim and his wife Ellen are the parents of 20 year old triplets. They enjoy golfing, boating and snow skiing with the kids. A lifetime Michigan resident, Jim graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a BBA in Marketing. Jim is also the owner of Great Lakes Escape Games in Frankenmuth and R&S Cuttergrind in Saginaw Township.

Jim is President of the Great Lakes Bay Manufacturing Association and sits on Saginaw Future board and the IBC OC council.

Employer Branding, Social Recruiting & Candidate Experience: What it takes to Attract Next Generation Talent

Join us to find out how industrial businesses can develop employer branding and social + digital recruiting strategies to attract Generation Z employees. Planning and execution of sharing your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), showcasing your culture, using social media ambassadors and managing your reputation online will be shared with examples. Candidate experience is the equivalent of customer experience for prospective employees from the time they apply to the time they onboard. This presentation will share best practices in process, communication, interaction, personalization and speed to attracting and converting the top talent to employees. Next generation talent acquisition is key to growing your business and creating a competitive advantage. The speed at which all businesses can grow today depends on your people.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand how to build an employer brand in the eyes of Next-Gen talent.
• Create and promote Employee Value Proposition (EVP) including culture, work environment and employee development.
• Design a social recruiting plan including passive recruiting strategies.
• Develop a candidate experience process that focuses on touch points, communication and positive experiences.

Speaker’s Bio:

Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam is an Instructional Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. He runs the Talent Development Council, an industry driven best practices consortium to advance talent practices in distribution. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Industrial Distribution. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, applied research, academic program management, and business development. Dr. Nagarathnam has worked on applied industry projects, consortia and professional development programs for more than 100 industrial manufacturers and distributors. He has published books, journal articles and industry publications. His research areas include distribution management, human capital development, talent acquisition, training design & development, performance management, and distribution profitability. Dr. Nagarathnam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Channel 2.0 – It Starts with the End User

Today more than ever, traditional supply channels and supporting sales models are challenged to keep up with End User’s increased expectations and the rise of Industry 4.0. New capabilities and standards are required to stay relevant. Join Ed as he walks through Channel 2.0, ISA’s strategic framework that defines a new standard of expectations based on how the End User wants to buy. Learn how Distributors, Manufacturers and IMRS can create better strategic value for each other while satisfying the End User’s evolving needs. You will leave with a Channel 2.0 compass specific to your organization that can be applied to your business and across your supply chain partners.

Speaker’s Bio:

Ed is the President and CEO of the Industrial Supply Association. Prior to joining ISA in 2016, he was the Executive Vice President for the Industrial Distribution Group (IDG) where he led the re-engineering and execution of IDG’s go to market strategy which ultimately led to the acquisition by Sonepar in 2014. During this transition, Ed helped lead the integration of IDG and Hagemeyer which has since been rebranded as Vallen. Prior to IDG, Ed served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Sandvik CTT group leading Sandvik’s first multi-brand strategy for the North American market which has since been rebranded as Walter Tools. With 30+ years’ experience in executive leadership roles in distribution and manufacturing, Ed has a deep understanding of industrial supply channels and brings a unique perspective to our conversation.

Reinvent Your Go-To-Market Strategy to Accelerate Growth in a Post-Crisis World

Disruption has hit manufacturing and distribution in an unprecedented way—for the first time in modern history, demand, supply and workforce availability were affected simultaneously. Efforts around business continuity and cost-containment have helped firms stay afloat…but forward-thinking leaders must now be proactive in response to this watershed moment in history. This session will help leaders in manufacturing and distribution work in concert to pivot from legacy models into building an integrated go-to-market for driving revenue growth in this new and ever-evolving landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• Why legacy commercial strategies and operating models will be less effective going forward
• Embracing the ‘total customer experience’ as a means to ‘design’ and ‘deliver’ incremental end-user value
• Using a practical growth framework to build an integrated go-to-market strategy for accelerating out of the Crisis and winning market share in the new and ever-evolving landscape

Speaker’s Bio:

J Schneider, Managing Director – Consulting Practice, Dorn Group, is an enthusiastic and collaborative leader, author and public speaker with the unique ability of helping leadership both formalize their vision for growth and implement change management across cross-functional teams. With over 25 years of conducting business in the EU, South America, EMEA and Asia for global manufacturers and distributors of industrial, commercial, aerospace and high-tech solutions, J brings unique, well-informed operating insights to the table that show industrial focused firms how to reduce unnecessary inefficiencies while hitting growth targets. J captures experiences from the field to fuel a customer–back approach in helping industrials develop company-wide innovation, strategic plans and customer experience improvements.

End User Virtual Round Table – The Drive Towards Strategic Partnerships

Regardless of industry, demographics or company size, it all starts with the End Customer. Join Ed as he meets with a panel of End Users on how they see the future of their indirect material supply chain, what the drivers and benefits are and how it will help maximize their productivity and efficiency gains. Get a behind the scenes, end customer perspective on what matters most and how distributors and manufacturers can become true partners in their pursuit of productivity and transparency.

Speaker Bios:

Kevin graduated from Westfield University with a BS in Political Science. He joined Hitchiner in April of 2017, coming from the Precision Castparts Corp. where he held roles of increased responsibility before moving into their Fasteners Division as their North American Business Manager. Prior to joining Precision Castparts, Kevin held various positions in complex manufacturing for industry first companies Metso Automation and Bose Corporation.

Robert is a mechanical engineer and MBA currently leading the indirect strategy and procurement team for factory and distribution center operations, plus capital equipment & tooling, across the Trane Technologies supply chain. He has twenty-seven years of experience in engineering and supply chain roles within the global manufacturing industry. Prior to his current role, Robert has held various roles over his career including product engineer, production leader, global program manager, plant manager, distribution center manager, and enterprise-wide global logistics and distribution leader. He resides in Troutman, North Carolina, with his wife and four daughters. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with the family and playing golf.

Ed is the President and CEO of the Industrial Supply Association. Prior to joining ISA in 2016, he was the Executive Vice President for the Industrial Distribution Group (IDG) where he led the re-engineering and execution of IDG’s go to market strategy which ultimately led to the acquisition by Sonepar in 2014. During this transition, Ed helped lead the integration of IDG and Hagemeyer which has since been rebranded as Vallen. Prior to IDG, Ed served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Sandvik CTT group leading Sandvik’s first multi-brand strategy for the North American market which has since been rebranded as Walter Tools. With 30+ years’ experience in executive leadership roles in distribution and manufacturing, Ed has a deep understanding of industrial supply channels and brings a unique perspective to our conversation.

What’s Digital Got to Do With It? Harnessing Technology and Remaining Relevant in the Digital Age

Along with the trouble it brought, 2020 exposed inefficiencies and limitations for some business processes. For many, disconnected systems and spreadsheets made it difficult to respond to an extremely volatile market. While some businesses chose to ride out the storm, others chose to replace their disconnected solutions and migrate to the cloud.

Join our live discussion as we explore how executives at forward thinking companies leveraged an opportunity to quickly set their businesses up for success, transforming manual systems to digital systems and how they:

• Overcame common objections, such as:
  • We’re too small
  • We can’t afford it
• Eliminated manual data transfers across applications to speed up processes
• Made informed decisions with real-time financial and operational reporting
• Improved productivity and operational efficiency in a volatile market

Participants will walk away with compelling answers to the following questions:

• What is digital business?
• What are some examples of businesses that have made the digital journey and what can we learn from their experiences?
• What are the tools your business will need for digital transformation?

Speaker’s Bio:

Kate (Sharum) Daniels is a leader of strategic partnerships, an impact investment advisor and thought leader in the field of digital transformation.

Over the last 16 years, Kate has sought to merge the worlds of economic growth and human development, maximizing mutual benefits, working directly with entities from the World Bank to International NGOs and leading projects for African and Latin American companies, European Development Financing Institutions (DFIs) and several East and Southern African governments. For the last ten years, Kate has invested her time and energy at the intersection of responsible investment and technology. Kate has studied and worked in North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

Today, Kate serves Oracle NetSuite as Industry Partnerships Director, leading engagement with industry associations and professional networks, contributing thought leadership and elevating the discourse around technology’s role in responsible stewardship, governance transparency and business growth.

Kate holds an MBA from GIBS Business School, under the University of Pretoria; an MA in Women’s Studies from University College Dublin; and a BA in Politics from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Panelists Bio:

Matt Wild is the CFO for FyterTech Nonwovens, a manufacturer of nonwoven and spill control products. He oversees Accounting, Finance and IT and has had the opportunity to play a key role in acquisitions, integrations, divestitures, and many projects driving the company forward. Matt’s professional career has always had some connection with manufacturing. The values and skills that he learned during his early years growing up on a very business minded family farm, stay with him today and influence how he manages his team, makes decisions, and approaches problem solving.

Larry Davis, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder at AgoNow, LLC. AgoNow is a pure industrial wholesaler and channel solutions provider that facilitates profitable relationships between distributors and manufacturers. AgoNow provides services that allow manufacturers to sell more deeply into their portfolios and industrial distributors to identify new opportunities and grow their market share.

AgoNow was founded and is 100% owned and controlled by its leadership team. It is a pure wholesaler, which means it will only sell to distributors and resellers and not to end-users. To learn more about AgoNow’s products and services, including inventory services, leading-edge market analytics, and digital marketing and e-commerce support, visit agonow.com.

Be Anywhere While Doing Business Everywhere: Go Global With E-commerce Marketplaces

B2B e-commerce platforms now represent a multi-trillion market opportunity, and the adoption of this channel amongst industrial manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors is growing on this channel more rapidly than ever. Hear from John Caplan, President of Alibaba.com North America and Europe, on why traditionally analog businesses are moving to e-commerce platforms, how digitization is providing the infrastructure for global scale, and a comparison of the various marketplace models. John will be joined by industrial supply leaders who are digitizing their business and tapping into the opportunities and efficiencies that B2B e-commerce marketplaces present.

Speaker’s Bio

John joined Alibaba Group in 2018 to lead the growth of the B2B business in North America.

John is a leader with 20 years of experience as a Founder, CEO, and President/CMO. He is an entrepreneur and leader, with a track record of transformational innovation and results.

Prior to joining Alibaba, John was Founder & CEO at OpenSky, responsible for building a world-class e-commerce platform with a team that leveraged technology to unlock the growth potential of small businesses.

Before OpenSky, John was CEO at Ford Models, the largest and most successful global fashion talent firm, with operations in 50 countries and across every aspect of the talent industry. He led the successful digital transformation and modernization of the fashion services industry and created the Ford Models Media business. Previously, John served as the CMO & President of About.com.

John has a B.A. in English from the University of Rochester.

Transforming the Industrial Channel Through POS Analytics

In this session, Dave Pesce, industry expert from SPS Commerce, will share how distributors and manufacturers can achieve greater profitability and outperform competition when they jointly leverage point-of-sale analytics. Strong POS analytics, allowing an understanding of where and when products are selling to end-customers, has become an absolute necessity in the retail, b2c space. Given the digital transformation brought by companies like Amazon, Dave will walk through why this transformation is necessary in b2b and discuss success stories from the b2c world where point-of-sale is commonly shared and collaborated on by retailers and suppliers.

Key Takeaways:

• Hear how the retail, b2c space is leveraging data & analytics to drive profits by as much as 20%
• Learn why building trust with partners is essential and gain practical steps you use to get started
• Understand what is needed to successfully leverage POS analytics in your business to drive profitability and reduce waste in the supply chain

Speaker’s Bio:

David Pesce is a supply chain expert with over 23 years of POS Analytics experience. David runs the Retailer POS Expansion program at SPS Commerce, a corporation based in the United States that provides cloud-based supply chain management software to retailers, distributors, suppliers, third-party logistics providers and partners. David has advised many of the world’s largest brands on how to leverage POS data to identify key insights to drive actionable results. He has defined and implemented industry best practices allowing retailers and distributors to easily provide POS Analytics to their Suppliers while receiving insights to help grow sales, margin and turn. David has led this charge for many of the world’s largest global brands thus understanding the details of many different global marketplaces. David has a Bachelor of Science (BS), Computer Science from Rowan University.

Rethinking Customer Loyalty – How to Maximize Growth and Retain Your Best Customers

Loyalty programs work. They create growth by keeping your best customers coming back for more, and they help you identify the next best segment of customers to target with sales and marketing. The most successful programs today are moving beyond the spend this / get that model of the past to a true platform for building two-way relationships. And here’s the best part – it works for the industrial supply industry as well, and we can prove it.

You’re probably already a member of one or more loyalty programs – airlines, hotels, credit cards, grocery stores, etc. Consumer-focused companies use more than just “points” in their programs to build emotional connections to their brand, and we’ll explore some of those strategies. What you’ll begin to understand is that industrial manufacturers and distributors can do the same thing, and we’ll share some examples. Business buyers align with suppliers and distributors that they know, trust, and like – relationships they believe will not put their professional reputation at risk. Those are emotion-based connections, and loyalty programs are excellent vehicles for cementing that kind of relationship.

Suppliers and distributors alike can create real differentiation with end customers and influence buying decisions at the moment of truth by employing proven customer loyalty techniques. In this session, we will uncover how success is measured in other industries and how the learnings from those programs can be applied to your industrial business.

Key Takeaways:

• How are other industries benefiting from Customer Loyalty Programs?
• How to apply Learnings from outside the industry to your business
• How to get started with a program in the industrial industry and avoid common mistakes along the journey

Speaker Bios:

Jeff Kraez has spent over 25 years in the industrial industry leading various cutting tool organizations. Jeff has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and has completed multiple Advanced Business programs during his career. Prior to joining Brandmovers, Jeff was General Manager, Americas for the WIDIA Products group where he led, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. During his time at WIDIA, he was the designer and developer of their Customer Loyalty program, a first of its kind for B2B industrial manufacturing. He brings his last three years of experience and learning to a new industry, where he can apply his vast industry knowledge to help other companies create new ways to build relationships with their customers.

Chris Galloway has over 25 years of experience in the sales performance and customer loyalty industry and is certified in strategic design by UVA’s Darden School of Business, the Incentive Marketing Association, and SITE Global.  He has held leadership roles at leading agencies across the marketing industry and is currently the Head of Strategy and Design for Brandmovers, Inc., an Atlanta-based Technology Solution Provider. Chris has been recognized as an industry influencer, appearing in Incentive Magazine, speaking at various industry events, and has published a substantial research paper to the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice on the impact of brand connection to overall business results. He has a BA in Music and a BS in Business from Webster University.

Let AI Do the Magic: Why Supply Chains Are Turning to AI

The purpose of this presentation is to educate and prepare the audience for the coming shift toward advanced technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). “By the end of 2024, 75% of enterprises will shift from piloting to operationalizing AI, driving a 5X increase in streaming data and analytics infrastructures.” – Gartner Top 10 Trends in Data and Analytics for 2020. What does this mean for industrial supply chains? — AI is here to stay and the time to adopt is NOW. This presentation will share experiences of how end-users are using AI/ML to manage data, inventory and procurement of MRO materials, and how you can best be prepared to begin to bring AI into your business, with the goal of operationalizing it. Leaning into AI will become a competitive advantage for you and a value add for your end-user customers. Learn how AI enables an intelligent, connected supply network, allowing you to do what you do best as a trusted partner and logistics expert. AI will enable trusted, verified demand signals, giving you intelligence as a supplier. Joining the AI movement will connect your networks, ensuring materials are at the right place, at the right time. Learn how your customers are joining this AI movement, and why you should too.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn why and how AI is the way of the future and it is happening NOW
• Learn the accessible technologies/capabilities that are available to you and the opportunities to implement them to grow revenue and customer share
• Learn how AI will enable you to scale a connected, supply network in a way that has never been done before

Speaker’s Bio:

As founder and CEO of Verusen, an innovator in supply chain data, inventory and procurement technology, Paul Noble oversees the company’s vision and strategic direction. He has extensive experience in the industrial supply chain and distribution space, as he was recognized as a Supply Chain Pros to Know by the Supply and Demand Chain Executive in 2020.

Prior to founding Verusen, Noble spent over a decade with The Sherwin-Williams Company, where he specialized in supply chain/manufacturing and led its Eastern U.S. Industrial Distribution business unit.

Noble graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.