Jacobs to keynote 2025 NAW Innovators Summit

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) has announced that Brad Jacobs, Chairman and CEO of QXO, Inc., will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2025 NAW Innovators Summit, taking place September 15–17 in Austin, Texas.

Jacobs, a career CEO and serial entrepreneur, is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished business builders of his generation. He has founded eight companies, all of which he grew into billion- or multibillion-dollar enterprises. Two of his companies, XPO, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) and United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI), rank among the top 10 best-performing Fortune 500 stocks of the past decade.

“This year’s Innovators Summit is about taking action, building your roadmap, making real connections, and investing in solutions that will move your company forward,” said Eric Hoplin, President and CEO of NAW. “Brad Jacobs exemplifies what it means to be a transformational leader, and we’re thrilled to have him share his vision with our attendees.”

The NAW Innovators Summit, powered by Applico Capital, is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together distribution executives and cutting-edge tech founders to explore the most pressing innovations shaping the industry. The Summit is designed to accelerate participants’ investment in transformative solutions, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence, automation, digitization, and e-commerce. The program features main stage presentations followed by curated one-on-one meetings that help attendees develop their technology investment roadmaps.

Currently leading QXO, Inc., Jacobs is focused on building the leading tech-enabled platform in the $800 billion building products distribution industry. Over his career, Jacobs has completed more than 500 acquisitions, raised over $50 billion in institutional capital, and transformed industries through innovation and scale. His keynote address will offer critical insight into how distributors can lead with vision, invest in technology, and position their companies for long-term growth.