Different people. Run to new opportunities

The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Dancer, CEO and Founder of the Network for Channel Innovation, as Research Leader of the 12th edition of Facing the Forces of Change to be published in late 2019.

Facing the Forces of Change, the most respected research study of wholesale distribution industry future trends, has been updated and published every three years since 1982. Because NAW is the only national wholesale distribution organization that represents companies in all lines of trade in the industry, its Facing the Forces of Change report is the most comprehensive study of the future of the wholesale distribution industry. It is known for the accuracy of its five year predictions about the economy and trends in wholesale distribution.

Through the years, distribution executives and their management teams have used Facing the Forces of Change to facilitate both short- and long-term strategic planning at their companies.

According to NAW Institute Executive Director Patricia A. Lilly, “We’re delighted to have Mark Dancer head the research effort for our next report because of his 30 years of experience within our industry, and because he has already authored four future-leading research studies for the NAW Institute. Mark understands this industry extremely well, and he is passionate about helping distributors drive innovation, solve problems, and strengthen their capabilities so that they can perform well against disruptors within their markets. Distributors are facing unprecedented challenges, and winning in business today is about embracing change as an opportunity for innovation.”

Dancer adds, “As we launch our efforts to research the next Facing the Forces of Change report, we are mindful of the 36-year legacy of reporting on game-changing forces and helping distributor leaders transform their businesses. We also understand that more is required. That’s why we are innovating our research process to go beyond interviews and surveys to include new methods that will directly engage distributors and uncover opportunities for innovation. We will share preliminary findings as we go, through blog posts and interim reports. We will listen to the advice of today’s leaders and those that are stepping up in the next generation. We will provide actionable roadmaps and challenge all distributors to step up. Ultimately, our goal is to reimagine the distributor business model as a platform for innovation and to help distributor leaders become acknowledged masters of business transformation.”