MM43 - Brian Astl : President at Lind Equipment

On episode 43 of the Montreal Marketeers podcast, we talk strategy and tactics with Brian Astl.

Brian is the president of Lind Equipment: a leader in portable electrical equipment designed for the toughest workplaces. He decided to join Lind in 2007 upon having completed his MBA at Harvard Business School. Given his talent for strategic business development, he searched for an established company that he could elevate to new heights. Lind was a perfect fit since it was a well positioned player in a growing market.

Brian started at Lind Equipment with very little category knowledge. That being said, he relied on his experience in building solid strategies to create a plan that would ensure long-term growth. He understood his company’s core companies and laid out a differentiation strategy that would focus on creating innovative products for the heavy industrial, construction, mining, and military industries.

Check out this week's episode to find out more about Brian Astl and Lind Equipment!

Duration: 70 minutes

Topics:
- Understanding the difference between strategy and tactics
- Knowing when to say no
- Running a search fund
- Making mistakes is part of learning
- Finding passionate business partners
- Communicating directly to end-users
- Innovating to overcome commoditization
- Building brand confidence
- Determining customer needs in order to develop products