Avnet interim CEO Phil Gallagher says he intends to focus on "reinvigorating the foundation of the core business" while giving attention to the company's Premier Farnell division and handling higher demand for internet of things devices. Avnet reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $52.2 million on revenue of $4.2 billion.

Grady Rosier will retire and be succeeded as McLane Co. CEO and president by Tony Frankenberger on Aug. 28, after a quarter-century in both roles. Frankenberger will remain McLane Grocery president.

Food distributors such as Maines Paper & Food Service have had to rethink their operations after business from restaurants declined because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Distributors with deeper pockets will survive longer, but they will likely need federal funding to survive should [shutdowns] last more than another three months," says Tim Powell of consulting firm Foodservice IP.

The pandemic has revealed the need for distributors to adopt tools that enable remote work and access, Mike Hockett writes. Communication services such as Slack and Zoom "have allowed distributors to quickly relay information, send documents and make presentations without cluttering up email inboxes or forcing staff into a never-ending cycle of scheduling phone calls with other staff," he writes.

Salespeople can improve their daily productivity by tackling tough, but important, tasks first thing, writes Colleen Francis. "It seems so obvious, but many salespeople fail to realize that when you eliminate your most daunting tasks first and foremost, the rest of your day is set up for success," Francis writes.

Salespeople can improve their skills by practicing lessons learned during virtual sales training and be ready to demonstrate them at the next meeting, writes Andy Springer. Virtual programs should be focused on a series of short sessions and provide salespeople with new tools that can easily be added into their daily routines.

Credibility is key for leaders who want to build a high-trust environment, but they must use that leverage to be transparent and honest, especially during a crisis, writes Stephen M.R. Covey. "The reality is that with trust as our currency, we can be far more agile, collaborative and innovative," he writes.

A crisis can be used by leaders to uncover what's not working and discover opportunities for growth, writes Eileen McDargh. She offers six questions leaders can ask to pinpoint such improvements and how to develop the "intelligent optimism" that marks resiliency.

Based on original research conducted in July with wholesaler-distributors in many lines of trade across the industry, author Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group will reveal on this Aug. 18 webinar how distributors evaluate and respond to emerging technologies. Is Artificial Intelligence a threat, an opportunity, or both? Find out how distributors plan to incorporate new technologies to build their competitive advantage. Register now. Research report with more intel is coming in early August. Sponsored by Unilog, SAP and Conexiom.

Are you well-informed about different best practices and knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's Top 10 E-book List can help get you up-to-speed quickly so you and your business can stay competitive in these challenging times.

Are you ready for the technology that is transforming distribution? With the influx of new competitors and new technologies, changes are happening at warp speed. In this NAW series of seven research reports and seven accompanying webinars in seven months, distribution expert Ian Heller will help you to gain the intelligence you need to formulate new strategies and ensure that your company thrives through this era of technology transformation. You've got seven months, so let's get started. Sponsors include Unilog, SAP and Conexiom.