Jonathan Bein, Ph.D., is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Distribution Strategy Group. At the conference, to be held in Chicago on June 4th–6th, Jonathan will deliver the keynote, “AI Driven Revenue Growth.” 

He’ll explore how AI can bring new levels of effectiveness and efficiency to areas like:

• Salesforce management
• Customer relationship management
• Cross selling and upselling
• Marketing automation and campaign management
• Digital marketing
• eCommerce capabilities 

Jonathan Bein Ph.D. has worked with over 100 distributors to apply advanced analytics and AI to improve customer experience, define value proposition, estimate sales potential and create digital strategy.

Before Distribution Strategy Group, Bein has successfully led and been part of executive management for software product and services companies in information technology, healthcare and communications. Bein has been CEO of several companies. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Colorado with a focus in Artificial Intelligence and his BA in Computer Science at Indiana University.

Alex Chausovsky is a trusted resource and advisor for owners and executives of private-and-publicly-held firms and industry trade associations on analytical, economic, geopolitical and business-oriented topics. He is a highly experienced market researcher and analyst with more than two decades of expertise across industries such as automation, industrial technology, healthcare, business services and manufacturing. He has consulted and advised companies throughout the U.S. and Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Alex has delivered more than one thousand presentations, webinars, and workshops to small businesses, trade associations, and Fortune 500 companies and is the go-to source of industry data and insights for hundreds of enterprises across a spectrum of industries. Alex’s analysis has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, on the BBC, and on NPR.

Stu Tisdale is the Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer for ADI, responsible for setting the strategic direction and managing the company’s digital footprint to deliver a leading omnichannel customer experience across all touchpoints. He oversees the company’s e-commerce websites and apps, digital marketing, loyalty programs, strategic pricing, data science and analytics, creative services and technical sales support. 

Focused on delivering an exceptional omnichannel customer experience, Stu drives initiatives to enhance the customer journey across all channels. He has played a key role in leading numerous strategic initiatives including online shopping and e-commerce platform enhancements, cloud-based pricing, touchless ordering, ADI Pro Rewards, analytics, AI/ML-powered sales tools and more. 

Stu also leads all Voice of the Customer initiatives for the company, ensuring customer feedback is integrated into all product and services offerings. Additionally, he plays a vital role in cultivating M&A opportunities to accelerate ADI’s growth, resulting in seven acquisitions since 2020. 

Stu is an accomplished leader with deep expertise in B2B marketing, digital strategy and commercial excellence. Previously, he served as Vice President, Strategy and Commercial and has held a variety of roles within the company’s marketing and category management functions. Prior to ADI, Stu held roles in product management and marketing at Henry Schein, Inc. 

Nick Pericle has spent the last decade working with distributors across the country, from branches to boardrooms. As founder of the AI Enablement Firm, Tenexity, he focuses on helping distributors understand and implement artificial intelligence in practical and impactful ways. He’s a podcast host of the show Distribution At the Crossroads, a fellow with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, and a user of most AI tools available on the market today. 

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). 

Brian Hopkins’ career is a reflection of his unwavering dedication to customer service excellence and operational efficiency in industrial distribution. His tenure, especially at W.W. Grainger, has had a lasting impact, showcasing his capacity to innovate and lead in complex, multi-site operational environments. His academic background, including an MBA and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, complements his extensive practical experience. 

 Brian has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead, innovate, and drive sustainable growth across various operational landscapes. 

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.

Married to my wife (Chante) for 14 years, with one child (son named Cameron).  Born and raised in western North Carolina (graduate of Appalachian State University with a BS in Business, focus in Accounting).  Entered the electrical distribution industry in 2000 with a large national distributor, before joining Summit in 2022.  Bulk of my career has been in finance and operations with experience across multiple geographies across the US (Central, Southeast and West Coast) with the bulk of my career being split between California (Los Angeles) and Texas (Dallas). Leadership philosophy is to be a strategic leader focused on building strong relationships with associates, customers, and supplier partners to create value across the supply chain.  Key focus on utilizing performance analytics to maximize company resources in support of profitable market share growth, while ensuring cross-functional communication that seeks to remove ambiguity from the organizations core mission. Experienced in multiple vertical markets (Comm / Data – Private & Public, Commercial / Electrical Construction, Industrial, Government and Institutional) within wholesale distribution.

Jeff Crume is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor with more than 40 years’ experience in the IT industry. He has a PhD in Cybersecurity and serves as an Adjunct Professor at NC State University. Jeff’s YouTube videos have been viewed more than 25 million times and he is the author of a book entitled “Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don’t Want You To Know” as well as a contributing author to the “Information Security Management Handbook.” He is a member of the inaugural class of the NC State University Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame and serves on the editorial board for the “Information and Computer Security” research journal. Jeff lived in Beijing on assignment in 2006 and has worked with clients in 50 countries. 

Matt Sigelman is President of the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit data laboratory working at the intersection of the future of work and the future of learning to advance economic mobility, shared prosperity, and improved outcomes for workers and learners. Named by Forbes to its Future of Work 50, Matt has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between talent and opportunity. 

Previously Chairman and CEO of Lightcast, Matt pioneered the field of real-time labor market analytics, a breakthrough innovation that transformed the way employers, education institutions, policy makers, and workers understand, plan for, and connect with the world of work. 

He serves as Senior Advisor at the Harvard Project on the Workforce and a Futures Fellow at the Stanford Center on Longevity. He writes widely on the job market, has testified before Congress, and is consulted frequently by public officials and the global media. He is also Founder of the Main Line Classical Academy, an elementary school bringing the classical liberal arts curriculum and rigorous study in math and science to the kindergarten level on up and dedicated to the idea that children are never too young to learn great things. 

Matt holds an AB from Princeton University, an MBA from Harvard, and is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.