Per Ohstrom
Partner & CMO
Works with small and mid-size private and PE-owned industrial and B2B service companies to create and execute strategies for profitable growth.
About Per
A B2B marketing and strategy driver, Per brings 20+ years of international marketing and P&L leadership in $1-2 billion blue chip and private industrial companies. He supports CEOs that want to make their companies more market focused, building cross-functional teams that consistently perform. With a track record in manufacturing, construction equipment, equipment rental, MRO supplies, supply chain, specialty chemicals and other industries, he brings advanced marketing experience to industrials. Per is a creative problem solver, a people person working well in matrix organizations. He likes to tackle complex issues and drives for practical results.
How Per has Helped Businesses Grow
- Grew diamond tool sales at HTC/ Husqvarna through competitor benchmarking, formulation of value propositions, sales force training and monthly sales campaigns. Metal and plastic diamond tooling revenue increased 30% YOY, with product margins exceeding 60%.
- Grew Xylem $300M pump business 20% over 16 months, via entry into emerging gas fracking water management segment, and by leveraging installed base for parts and service sales.
- Developed a 5-year strategic plan at CHEP. Growth came from entering new high volume market segments in private label products and beverage bottling/ distribution. I also launched new offerings and implemented value- based pricing. In two years, annual sales increased by $200M.
- Added 4,000 new accounts launching value-added services and campaigns, leading $51M retail product range and merchandising across 450 branch locations at RSC/ United Rentals.
- Improved gross margin by 150 basis points using a velocity-based pricing model at Hagemeyer.
Client Resources
- Entrepreneur: Why (And How) B2B Companies Should Raise Prices Right Now
- MarketingProfs: Company Profits Squeezed? Here's How B2Bs Can Justify Raising Prices
- Authority Magazine/ Medium.com: Per Ohstrom of Chief Outsiders: “How To Survive And Thrive During A Time Of Crisis; 5 Lessons I Learned From My Military Experience”
- Young Upstarts: Top 5 Things CMOs Will be Expected to Manage
- Concrete Decor: Trade Shows Ramp Up -Are You Ready?
- eBook: Selecting a Strategy for Market Leadership
- Successful Strategy for Entering International Markets
- Quick Test: Will Your Business Strategy Work Post-COVID?
Executive Experience
- VP of Sales, System Improvements, Inc.
- President, HTC, Inc./Husqvarna
- VP of Marketing and Business Development, Xylem
- VP of Marketing, RSC/United Rentals
- SVP, Vallen, formerly Hagemeyer North America
- Director of Marketing, CHEP
- Worldwide Marketing Manager, Coatings Division, Rohm and Haas
- Global Marketing Manager, Arizona Chemical Division, International Paper
Clients Served
- AZPRO (Printing)
- Shamrock Environmental (Water & Wastewater)
- Specialty Machine (Manufacturing)
- H+M Industrial EPC (Construction)
- ECS Environmental Solutions (Manufacturing)
- Service Heat Treating (Manufacturing)
- Southern Skid (Manufacturing)
- CapitalWorks (due diligence of manufacturing company)
- Vivify (Specialty chemicals)
- ProPac (Distribution)
- Avid Solutions (Technology)
- Brilliant (Specialty Chemicals)
- Trystar (Power Solutions)
- HK Solutions (Environmental Services)
Education
- MBA, Northwestern University
- BS, Economics, Industrial Marketing, Business Law - Lulea University of Technology
Download Per's Resume Here
Expertise
Industry Experience- Industrials
- Wholesale
- Distribution
- Engineering
- International Expansion
- Competitive Strategy
- Pricing Strategy
- Growth Strategy
- B2B Marketing
- Product Development
- Service Marketing