Julian Dent

Julian Dent (born 1957) is a management consultant and author specialising in routes to market or distribution channels. He is one of the founders of VIA International, which advises multi-national corporations, venture-backed companies and family-owned businesses. Dent's main focus is on the economics of distribution, showing suppliers how insight into the business models of their channel partners provides the key to building share of the channel. He is also a Chartered Accountant (Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) and a Freeman of the City of London. Dent graduated from Leeds University in 1978. He has one son and one daughter and is married. He is a passionate cricketer and chairs Berkhamsted Cricket Club, helping in its turnaround from near demise to becoming a major force in Herfordshire cricket.

Dent's channel economic framework includes:

1) The Value Creation Tree - showing how changes in the business model create or destroy value (EVA)

2) Internal growth formula - showing the rate of organic growth a business can sustain without recourse to external capital

3) "The vendor model inside" - an analysis of the value of a vendor to its channel partner by assessing the nature of its business model inside the partner, showing for example whether the margins and inventory turns of that vendor's products are better or worse the average for the whole of the partner's business

3) Channel Value Proposition - the entire business case for doing business with a supplier, taking into account benefits of growth, profitability, return on capital and brand

4) "Sell with" partners - recognising the value of elements of the channel ecosystem that do not directly touch the product, such as specifiers or consultants advising the customer. Dent shows how to exercise legitmate influence over these channels

Key Work

- Dent, J. (2008) "Distribution Channels - Understanding and Managing Channels to Market", Kogan Page, August 2008. See also

- Distribution (business)

External links

- Julian Dent currently chairs [VIA International] [http://www.viaint.com]