James Howe

President & COO Motion

James Howe was promoted to President of Motion, effective April 2024, after serving the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial and Technology Officer – eCommerce, IT, Sales Excellence, Corporate Accounts, Strategic Pricing and Human Resources. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industrial distribution market. Through Mr. Howe's leadership, Motion sales processes and digital experience achieved excellence and continue to do so. As President, he is leading the company's drive to success, including spearheading a strategic executive and field realignment to support ambitious growth plans for the company. In his recent roles, Mr. Howe led the strategy and development of all aspects of Motion digital strategy: The new Motion.com website released in Q3 2020, a new MiPro Sales app, and CRM technology for 2021. He has also transformed Motion's pricing strategy using data science and internally developed pricing algorithms, which have delivered consistent multi-year margin expansion. Mr. Howe has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics & Decision Sciences from the University of California in San Diego and an MBA from Columbia University in New York. He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for 21 years, and they have three children. Mr. Howe and his family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, in 2024.

Day 2, Tuesday, November 10th

9:30 AM Keynote Panel: Every Dollar Counts: How Distribution Executives Invest in Growth

What does it take to get an executive to back a new idea? How do leaders decide whether a new tool, campaign or customer program is working? Distribution businesses typically operate on 3-5% profit margins, so every investment has to earn its place.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) brings distribution leaders together year-round to learn from one another. In this session, NAW President and CEO Eric Hoplin talks with leaders of three NAW member companies in specialty building products, facility care and foodservice packaging, and industrial automation and MRO.

Panelists will share where distribution is headed, how customer buying habits are changing and what they need to see before they invest. The session is built for everyone who helps develop, market, sell and support what customers buy. Attendees will leave with an executive's view of the industry and practical ways to make a stronger case to senior leadership. The session closes with audience Q&A.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess how changing customer buying habits and digital investment are reshaping three sectors of distribution

• Understand how executives evaluate new investments and judge whether they're working

• Apply practical ways to make a stronger case to senior leadership in a low-margin business

• Recognize how peer networks and industry engagement help leaders grow

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining James.

Download The Latest Agenda