Alli Copeland, Chief Transformation Officer at ADI Global, joins Aaron Sheehan to break down what transformation looks like in wholesale distribution. From merging companies and overhauling tech to building a customer-first culture, Alli shares how ADI keeps progress moving, even when change never ends.

Episode highlights:

00:00 – Introduction: Meet Alli Copeland & ADI

02:15 – What Does a Chief Transformation Officer Do?

04:50 – Why Transformation Never Really Ends

09:15 – Turning Strategy into Action

12:54 – Upgrading Tech: From Mainframe to Microservices

18:25 – Planning for Agility, Not Just Stability

21:45 – “Even Better Together”: Customer-First M&A

25:15 – Decision-Making: When Changes Help (or Hurt) Customers

27:24 – Real Feedback: NPS, Surveys, and Store Pilots

29:30 – How Distribution is Evolving Beyond Inventory

34:32 – Culture Change: Project Avengers & Rebel Alliance

40:13 – Radical Transparency & Leading Through Uncertainty

42:35 – Leadership Lessons & Advice for Transformation

46:25 – Book Recs & Closing Thoughts

Resources mentioned:

• The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil

• Apple in China by Patrick McGee