Technology Leader Panel
How Distributors Use AI to Drive Sales Effectiveness
Wednesday, September 16 , 9:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM EDT – 10:00 AM PDT / 1:00 PM EDT
The gap between distributors who are using AI to sell better and those who are still figuring it out is widening. This panel shows what the leaders are doing.
AI is finding its way into distributor sales organizations, but the results are uneven. Some teams are using it to sharpen prospecting, improve call preparation, and give managers better visibility into what’s actually happening in the field. Others have invested in tools that haven’t stuck, or launched pilots that never scaled. The difference is rarely the technology — it’s whether the organization built AI into how selling actually works, or bolted it on from the outside.
In this Technology Leader Panel, distribution executives and sales technology leaders share how they’re putting AI to work across the sales function — what use cases are delivering real results, what separates implementations that take hold from those that stall, and how they’re thinking about the next wave of AI capability as it hits the market.
Key Takeaways
- Where AI is having the most measurable impact on distributor sales performance right now
- How leading organizations are integrating AI into sales workflows without disrupting what’s already working
- What the implementation and adoption challenges look like in practice, and how practitioners are working through them
- How sales managers are using AI to coach, prioritize, and improve visibility across their teams
- What distributor sales organizations should be evaluating and preparing for as AI capabilities continue to evolve
What You’ll Learn
- The specific AI use cases in sales prospecting, account planning, call prep, and pipeline management that are delivering results for distributors
- How to build adoption and trust in AI tools across a sales team that may be skeptical or already stretched
- What the rollout looks like when AI-assisted selling actually scales beyond the pilot stage
- How to evaluate AI sales tools against the realities of a distribution sales environment, not just vendor demos
Join Us
If you lead sales, sales operations, or technology strategy at a distribution company, this panel will give you a grounded, practitioner-level view of where AI in distributor sales stands today and where it is headed. wave of warehouse automation in distribution., and operations leaders managing global supplier relationships.
Panelists
John Murcott
EVP of Product and Strategy, HawkSearch by Bridgeline
Jeffrey Porter
Principal Brand Evangelist, StockIQ
Bob Hackney
Chief Technology Officer, SugarAI
Jim Harris
Senior Account Executive, Western Computer
Sponsors
Panelists
John Murcott
EVP of Product and Strategy, HawkSearch by Bridgeline
John Murcott is an entrepreneurial leader with nearly 20 years of experience in sales engineering, product management, and professional services, specializing in automation, integration, and enterprise SaaS. As EVP of Products and Strategy at Bridgeline, he drives strategic growth by helping customers increase revenue through intelligent search, personalization, and SEO optimization, while supporting sales with clear product vision and results-driven execution.
Jeffrey Porter
Principal Brand Evangelist, StockIQ
Jeffrey Porter is Principal Brand Evangelist and a founding team member at StockIQ, with 35+ years of experience in manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and technology. His career began at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), followed by seven years as a manufacturing development engineer at Hewlett-Packard where he kept supply chains competitive in a globalizing economy. Today, he uses those experiences to help mid-market distributors and manufacturers across various industries. Whether it be turning complex supply chain challenges into clear, actionable strategies for executives or helping planners reduce excess inventory, prevent stockouts, and streamline purchasing processes, Jeffrey has done it all.
Bob Hackney
Chief Technology Officer, SugarAI
Bob Hackney is Chief Technology Officer at SugarAI, bringing more than two decades of experience leading technology transformation across product and engineering in global technical organizations. At SugarAI he oversees product, engineering, and the platform work behind the company’s AI-powered precision-selling CRM and revenue intelligence capabilities, including Sugar Predict. Prior to SugarAI, he served as CTO at PerfectServe and held senior leadership roles at SitusAMC and DaVita, where he led large-scale modernization initiatives supporting DevOps, business operations, and machine learning.
Jim Harris
Senior Account Executive, Western Computer
Jim Harris is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the cloud software and beverage industries. He specializes in helping suppliers and distributors achieve operational excellence using Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions. As a Senior Account Executive, Jim focuses on empowering food and beverage companies to modernize operations, boost profitability, and stay competitive particularly through the 365WineTrade platform.
Host
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.