Meet the Speakers:
Welcome Address: How Distributors Can Create Efficiency and Effectiveness with Applied AI Now
Jonathan Bein, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Distribution Strategy Group
The emergence of ChatGPT and generative AI has created a peak of excitement, expectations and fear. But ChatGPT and generative AI are just one example of how AI is changing our world. In his welcome address, Jonathan Bein, Ph.D., will decode several AI technologies that are already in use today including:
- Generative AI
- Image recognition
- Language understanding
- Optimization
These technologies power a new wave of applications including automated configuration, diagnosis and repair, product recognition, voice ordering, voice search, route optimization, prediction, intelligent agents and more.
Bein will share applications today and over the next 24 months for distributors, including supply chain and warehouse, finance, HR, sales, marketing and customer service. These applications promise to deliver not just greater efficiency, but also greater effectiveness for distributors. Bein will also share survey results from the first annual State of Distribution AI survey on what distributors are doing and planning to do with AI.
Conference Host:
Ian Heller, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, 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.
Session: 10 Easy Tips for How to Use AI to Destroy Everything You’ve Built
T. Lin Chase, Ph.D., Leading AI Expert
Dr. Chase will address your worst fears about AI by sharing the risks this emerging technology represents and insights on how to manage them. Relying on her extensive experience in industry, science and academia, Lin will give examples of where people have gone wrong with AI and how you can avoid the same mistakes.
Dr. Chase is a tech executive with an extensive track record in the successful development and delivery of experienced artificial intelligence, data and networking technologies in complex business environments. She spent 35 years applying emerging software technologies around the world in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, India and East Asia. Dr. Chase holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science/Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Session: Maximizing Return and Minimizing Risk of AI: What Distributors Should Do Now
Ray Grady, CEO of B2B Advisors
This all-star panel of executives will discuss how to identify applications for AI, explain the risks this technology represents and what distributors need to do to get ready. Topics will include preparing your tech stack, deciding between public and private models, getting the right talent in place, proprietary use of large language models, emerging cybersecurity concerns and fitting AI into your current systems and data infrastructure.
Ray Grady brings more than 20 years of experience in scaling high-growth B2B organizations as an investor, advisor and serial technology entrepreneur.
He is currently serving as the CEO of B2B Advisors, a boutique advisory services firm specializing in the usage of B2B SaaS applications for enterprises to drive top and bottom-line growth. Grady was previously president and CEO of Conexiom. Before that, he worked at Salesforce B2B Commerce, where he held the roles of SVP, COO and GM.
Grady has also served as president and COO of CloudCraze, where he led the company through its 2018 acquisition by Salesforce. He also held roles as SVP and GM of Acquia, one of the fastest-growing SaaS providers in the world, and was the co-founder of Acquity Group, which went public in 2012 before being acquired by Accenture Interactive in 2013.
Session: How to Develop an AI Strategy & Roadmap
Brooks Hamilton, AI strategy expert
AI strategy consultant and technology expert Brooks Hamilton will describe how distributors can get started now to use AI to create competitive advantage. With tips, templates and ideas based on his extensive real-world experience, Brooks will arm attendees with the information they need to kick off their journey of AI adoption.
Hamilton is the founder of Hamilton AI Strategy Advisors, which helps large enterprises build and implement AI strategies. With a deep understanding of AI technology and business operations, his company is positioned to help organizations navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Previously, Brooks held executive positions at Zilliant, where he worked with dozens of leading distributors to design and deploy AI sales, pricing and revenue management applications.
Session: Maximizing Return and Minimizing Risk of AI: What Distributors Should Do Now
Mark Newhall, founder and CEO of Execution Specialists Group
This all-star panel of executives will discuss how to identify applications for AI, explain the risks this technology represents and what distributors need to do to get ready. Topics will include preparing your tech stack, deciding between public and private models, getting the right talent in place, proprietary use of large language models, emerging cybersecurity concerns and fitting AI into your current systems and data infrastructure.
Mark Newhall is founder and CEO of Execution Specialists Group, an award-winning management consultancy focused on strategy execution, empowering client leadership to bring transformational business visions to life. Mark founded ESG in 2008 after spending 20 years in senior executive leadership positions in the areas of M&A integration, strategy, enterprise program management, sales and customer experience.
At ESG, Mark has served as a trusted advisor to the senior management teams of over 50 client companies, including The Adecco Group, Target, DexKo Global, Caesars Entertainment, Salesforce.com, Office Depot, Ritchie Bros, Gordon Food Service, Bridgestone, Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Alphabet / Google Enterprise.
Before founding ESG, Mark held a series of progressive executive leadership positions at Corporate Express NV.
Session: AI Applications and Use Cases for Distribution
Klaus Werner, former Global Industrial Tech Executive
Veteran distribution technologist Klaus Werner will share insights and examples of how distributors can apply AI to improve productivity, quality and profitability in:
- Customer service
- Supply chain
- Sales automation
- Personalization
- eCommerce
Klaus was the Senior Vice President, eCommerce, Digital Transformation and CX for Global Industrial (NYSE: GIC). Before that, he was Chief Digital Officer for HD Supply and Senior Vice President of multibillion-dollar grocery wholesaler Alex Lee Inc.
Session: Maximizing Return and Minimizing Risk of AI: What Distributors Should Do Now
Janet Zelenka, Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President and CFO for Stericycle
This all-star panel of executives will discuss how to identify applications for AI, explain the risks this technology represents and what distributors need to do to get ready. Topics will include preparing your tech stack, deciding between public and private models, getting the right talent in place, proprietary use of large language models, emerging cybersecurity concerns and fitting AI into your current systems and data infrastructure.
Janet is the Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President and CFO for Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL). Before joining Stericycle, Janet spent 15 years with Essendant Inc., where she served in various roles, including CFO, CIO and Senior Vice President of Business Integration.
Janet recently won the 2022 Chicago CIO of the Year ORBIE Award (Enterprise) and the 2022 CIO+ Award from The Executives’ Club of Chicago, SIM Chicago and AITP Chicago.
Janet was named to the 2023 Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Leaders in Finance list. The list recognizes financial leaders in the Chicago area, who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills in navigating today’s most pressing business challenges and overseeing new frontiers.
Keynote Speaker: Zack Kass
AI Futurist + Former Head of Go-to-Market, OpenAI, Maker of ChatGPT
Navigating Our AI Future – 30 Minutes
Pioneering the path towards an AI-empowered future – The Innovator’s roadmap. Zack navigates the challenges and opportunities that lie at the forefront of AI innovation. He dissects the paradoxical landscape where technology moves at an astounding pace, yet practical, scalable solutions remain elusive.
In this keynote, Zack will highlight how innovators can transform these challenges into stepping stones to success in an AI-driven era. Drawing on his vast experience in AI strategy and implementation, Zack offers a pragmatic approach to future-proofing your business. He provides a forward-thinking perspective, sharing lessons learned, strategies adopted and the transformative power of resilience in the face of relentless technological progression.
Fireside Chat Q&A – 60 Minutes
Conference attendees will have the unique opportunity to ask questions of Zack in a conversation moderated by Distribution Strategy Group’s Jonathan Bein, Ph.D. In this unscripted, spontaneous and high-energy give-and-take, you can ask questions about the possibilities and implications of AI and have them answered by one of the world’s leading experts.
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