Business Growth Strategies For CEOs: Top CMOs On Marketing Strategy Implementations

Per Ohstrom

A global B2B marketing and sales driver, Per brings 20+ years of senior level marketing experience in $1-2 billion blue chip industrial companies. A servant leader, he delegates and empowers without losing focus on results. With a track record in manufacturing, construction equipment, equipment rental, MRO supplies, supply chain, specialty chemicals and other industries, he is a people-centered leader, an effective communicator and builder of cross-functional teams. A strong team player and creative problem solver, Per deals comfortably with ambiguity and is effective in matrix organizations.

Outsider Insights | The Backup Plan You Don't Have Is Already Costing You

Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Posted by Dawn Werry

Executive Takeaways

Commercial team gaps happen for many reasons: someone leaves, someone is underperforming, or the business needs a capability the current team doesn’t have.
Mid-sized companies tend to run lean, which means there’s rarely a qualified backup ready to step into a critical role.
The real cost of that gap isn’t the empty seat. Priorities slow, teams lose direction, good people get frustrated, and commercial efforts stall.
Rushing a permanent hire isn’t always the answer. Fractional resources can keep the business moving while you make the right long-term decision.
The best time to decide how you’ll handle a critical commercial is before one opens.

Outsider Insights

Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.

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