AI News and Gurus
AI News and Gurus: The Show for Intelligent Distributors
Thursday, September 10 , 9:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM EDT – 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT
AI is only as useful as the strategy behind it. This session shows distributors how to make the connection.
AI is moving fast, and for most distributors the hardest question isn’t whether to adopt it — it’s how to make it count strategically. The tools are multiplying. The use cases are real. But fitting AI into a coherent growth strategy, one that accounts for where the business is today and where leadership wants it to go, is a different challenge than running a pilot or buying a new platform.
In this AI News and Gurus session, Adriana McLane, Strategic Growth Partner at Fulfilling Strategy, joins us to explore how distributors are integrating AI into their strategic planning and growth execution — what it looks like when it works, where most organizations get stuck, and how to align technology investment with the strategic priorities that actually move the business forward.
Key Takeaways
- How leading distributors are embedding AI into their strategic planning process rather than treating it as a separate initiative
- Where AI is creating the most leverage for mid-market distributors looking to grow
- What the gap between AI ambition and AI execution looks like in practice, and how to close it
- How to evaluate AI investments against strategic priorities rather than feature lists
- What distributor leadership teams need to align on before AI can deliver consistent results
What You’ll Learn
- How to connect AI adoption decisions to the strategic goals your leadership team has already committed to
- Where the biggest planning and execution gaps appear when distributors try to scale AI beyond early pilots
- What distributor strategy looks like when AI is part of the model from the start, not added on later
- How peer distributors are thinking about AI-driven growth in 2026 and what their early results reveal
- What questions distribution leaders should be asking their technology partners and internal teams right now
Who Should Attend
Next-generation distribution leaders building the planning skills and AI fluency needed to lead growth in an increasingly data-driven environment
Senior executives and ownership at mid-market distributors who are navigating AI investment decisions and want a strategic framework, not just a technology overview
Operations and IT leaders responsible for turning strategic direction into technology execution
Guests
Adriana McLane
Founder, Fulfilling Strategy
Guests
Adriana McLane
Founder, Fulfilling Strategy
Adriana McLane is the founder of Fulfilling Strategy, a strategic advisory firm that partners exclusively with mid-sized distributors to clarify direction, sharpen execution, and build strategy systems that keep pace with changing markets and customer expectations. For the past six years, she has worked with distribution leadership teams to translate strategy into practical operating disciplines that improve growth, margin, and organizational focus. Before founding Fulfilling Strategy, Adriana held senior roles in Fortune 100 organizations across business development, marketing, commercial strategy, and Six Sigma performance improvement, leading global strategic planning, multi-year product roadmaps, and route-to-market redesign. You can connect with Adriana at fulfillingstrategy.com.
Hosts
Brian Hopkins
Chief Operations 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.
Brooks Hamilton
Founder and CEO, AI Strategy Advisors
Brooks Hamilton is the founder and CEO of AI Strategy Advisors, which helps large enterprises build and implement AI strategies. With a deep understanding of both 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.