MSC Industrial Supply's recent financial results show the distributor is "seeing the benefits of the strategic pivot that's been made by our company over the past few years," President and CEO Erik Gershwind says. That included investing for growth, expanding e-commerce and cutting costs.

Daniel Fick, a clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, has been hired as chief medical officer at Hy-Vee. Fick will oversee the grocer's ongoing health programs and is also charged with creating new wellness initiatives for the grocer's customers and its workforce.

Companies can avoid a repeat of pandemic-related disruptions to the food supply chain by making greater use of artificial intelligence and automation, writes Priyesh Ranjan of Vorto. "With AI, machines take over the decision-making process, evenly weighing the needs, supplies and logistics of each of the supply chain parties to find the most efficient process and solution," Ranjan writes.

Albertsons added Volvo's electric-powered refrigeration trucks to its fleet, underscoring the grocery industry's move toward sustainability. Volvo, PACCAR and Daimler Trucks are among manufacturers anticipating demand for electric-powered commercial fleets.

Olam International's Suresh Sundararajan explains why the business-to-business company created a consumer-facing app and outlines how B2B marketers can find inspiration by innovating in unexpected areas. "Looking through a B2C lens allowed us to experiment with ideas that might inform or change the proven truths of our B2B practices," Sundararajan writes.

LinkedIn hit $3 billion in ad revenue before either Snapchat or Twitter, and the milestone reflects the digital transformation happening in business-to-business marketing, writes Kraig Swensrud, co-founder of Qualified.com and former Salesforce chief marketing officer. B2B marketers must prioritize "personalized, real-time experiences" to win over decision-makers who are increasingly digital-first, Swensrud writes.

The key to working with a micromanager is to push back -- gently -- with assurances that you have everything under control and ask them what part of your work isn't meeting their standards. "Micromanagers often have a subconscious drive to be perennially busy so they don’t have time to do the hard work of leadership," writes Martin Moore, founder of Your CEO Mentor.

Two-thirds of leaders have experienced burnout in the last year and 76% have felt overwhelmed by managing people during the pandemic, according to a study by Verizon Media and Made of Millions. Leaders share their own experiences of pandemic pressures and their tips for practicing self-care to prioritize their own, and their team's, mental health.

Suppliers are increasingly selling direct, customer demographics are skewing younger and many distributors are struggling to keep up. Distributors are grappling with fundamental changes in the expectations of their supply chain partners. Suppliers increasingly report frustration with their distributors' poor digital capabilities. Watch on demand.

According to Pradip Krishnadevarajan, Co-author of Seven NAW Institute Best Sellers "Many distributors struggle to manage their sales teams effectively. They oversimplify the sales management function, failing to recognize that every salesperson is unique and requires a customized approach." Read his post here.

Through the education alliance between the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence and Texas A&M University's Industrial Distribution Program, NAW offers this cutting-edge educational program that is customized to distributors. Learn more.