Organizations adopting AI also face significant reputational risks from the technology's misuse, including biased decisions, privacy violations and lack of governance, writes Joey Sylvester, area senior vice president of Gallagher. These issues can erode public trust, damage stakeholder relationships and have financial consequences such as revenue loss, increased customer acquisition costs and legal fees. Proactive measures like ethical frameworks, transparency and robust governance can help mitigate these risks and protect organizational reputation.

Genuine Parts has announced that Paul Donahue will retire as nonexecutive chairman at the 2026 annual meeting of shareholders, ending a 23-year career with the company. Donahue has been chairman since 2019 and was CEO from 2016 to 2024. President and CEO Will Stengel will assume the chairman title upon Donahue's retirement.

US import prices gained 0.4% from September to November, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report that was affected by the government shutdown. Import prices gained 0.1% in the year through November.

Siemens has completed a proof of concept using the HMND 01 humanoid robot from Humanoid to perform logistics tasks at its Erlangen, Germany, facility. The robot handled tote-to-conveyor destacking, achieving a 90% success rate and a throughput of 60 tote moves per hour.

Procurement processes are rapidly evolving with the integration of AI, significantly reducing the time required for tasks such as contract processing and purchase order management. Research from Oracle shows AI can cut procurement task completion time by up to 80%. Companies such as Oracle and Efficio are embedding AI into their operations to automate spend classification, supplier selection and contract review, leading to increased efficiency and cost savings.

Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter uses the term "messy middle" to describe the challenging phase of starting and finishing a goal where progress stalls and outcomes seem uncertain. Though it is marked by waning enthusiasm, obstacles and doubts about progress, it is essential for growth, writes Paul Reilly, creator of CoachVAS.ai. To overcome these challenges in sales, "Revisit your vision for the future. Look to the past to gauge progress, and focus on small wins to generate momentum," Reilly writes.

In 2026, B2B marketers must prioritize storytelling, semantic structure and human judgment to stand out amid the increasing volume of AI-generated content, according to B2B marketing leaders. Marketers should focus on aligning content with buyer moments, leveraging structured content for generative engine optimization and developing custom AI use cases.

Executive presence is a crucial leadership asset to cultivate deliberately, writes executive coach Joel Garfinkle, who notes that it extends beyond charisma to encompass how leaders communicate, make decisions and maintain composure under pressure. To advance to a senior role, intentionally refine these qualities to inspire confidence, earn greater influence and be recognized as a leader, Garfinkle writes.

Distributors are investing heavily in response to the surging demand for data centers, driven by growth in digital services and AI. Companies such as Wesco International and Distributor Wire & Cable are expanding facilities and operations to meet the needs of this rapidly growing market, with significant construction activity in regions such as Northern Virginia, Texas and Ohio. However, the rapid expansion of data centers has raised concerns about environmental impact, leading to regulatory scrutiny and proposed changes to tax incentives and grid usage fees.

Distributors often face technical debt due to piecemeal additions to their tech stacks like outdated ERPs, custom scripts, and overlapping SaaS tools, which can hinder business growth, according to a report from OroCommerce and Modern Distribution Management. Leaders have focused on creating a unified commerce foundation to manage products and pricing, making other decisions easier and reducing the need for duplicate systems.

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