# John Laughlin — show notes

John Laughlin: Culture, Acquisitions and the People Behind CTI

John expected his accounting job at Conference Technologies to be a stepping stone. Instead, AV became his career. He and Simon discuss growing CTI, keeping good people after an acquisition and changing a strategy without losing the culture that makes it work.

## In this conversation

- An unexpected route from accounting to AV ownership
- Growth through acquisitions and trusted relationships
- Culture and the first day after a deal
- Matching people to roles and taking responsibility as a leader
- What manufacturers need to contribute beyond the product
- Private equity, talent retention and customer relationships
- Why a functioning network is only part of the AV experience
- Lifelong learning, certifications and CTI University

[Listen on Buzzsprout](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2650808/episodes/20037049)

[Full conversation and supporting materials](https://b4obvious.com/interviews/john-laughlin/)

Roles and experiences reflect the recording. Machine-generated transcript wording and timestamps may contain errors.