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CPG Career Advancement: From Specialist to C-Suite

Unlock strategies for advancing from a specialist to a C-suite executive in the consumer packaged goods industry, focusing on essential skills and career milestones.

In this guide, we will explore essential strategies for candidates aspiring to C-suite positions, focusing on developing critical skills, enhancing leadership qualities, and effectively navigating the corporate ladder for long-term success in the CPG sector.


Understanding the CPG Landscape


CPG industry is known for its fast-paced, competitive nature, which demands quick decision-making and adaptability. As you aim for the C-suite, begin by deepening your understanding of how global market trends, consumer behavior, and technology affect your industry. Staying ahead means being proactive about continuous learning. Attend industry conferences, engage with market research, and stay updated with emerging technologies that are reshaping the industry.


Essential Skills for CPG C-Suite Aspirants


Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen

To reach the C-suite, you need to develop strong strategic thinking skills and business acumen. This means being able to foresee industry trends, understand financial drivers, and make decisions that align with the company’s long-term goals. Enhancing these skills involves more than understanding your own department; it requires a holistic grasp of how various parts of the company interconnect financially and operationally.


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Data-Driven Decision Making

In today’s data-centric world, C-suite leaders must be adept at interpreting and leveraging data to make informed decisions. Familiarize yourself with key analytics tools and metrics relevant to your field. Understanding data not only helps in making more informed decisions but also in demonstrating the impact of your strategies, an essential factor in securing executive roles.


Effective Communication

Communication is crucial at every level but becomes even more critical in C-suite roles where you must frequently interact with different stakeholders. Work on refining your communication skills to be clear, persuasive, and adaptable to various audiences, including board members, employees, and external partners.


Leadership Qualities That Advance Your Career


Visionary Leadership

Visionary leaders inspire action and drive change. Start developing a clear vision of where you want to see the company go and how it can get there. This foresight is crucial for anyone aiming for the C-suite, as it demonstrates your ability to lead the company into the future.


Emotional Intelligence

A high level of emotional intelligence (EI) enables you to manage and harness emotions to foster team strength and productivity. EI is particularly valuable in leadership roles for managing relationships, understanding team dynamics, and leading change effectively.


Resilience and Adaptability

The ability to bounce back from setbacks and adapt to changing environments is essential for C-suite executives, especially in the volatile CPG industry. Cultivate resilience by seeking feedback, learning from failures, and being open to new approaches and strategies.


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Navigating the CPG Corporate Ladder


Building a Broad Network

Networking is key in any industry but especially in CPG where opportunities often arise through connections. Build and maintain a broad network of industry contacts, and don’t shy away from seeking mentors who can offer guidance and advocate for you as potential leadership opportunities come up.


Seeking Out Strategic Roles

To move up the corporate ladder, seek roles that allow you to showcase and stretch your strategic thinking, leadership, and operational skills. Look for positions that challenge you and place you at the crossroads of major organizational decisions or initiatives.


Continuous Professional Development

Never stop learning. Whether through formal education, such as an MBA or industry-specific certifications, or through less formal routes like workshops and seminars, continuous professional development is essential to prepare you for the demands of C-suite roles.


Conclusion: Stepping into the C-Suite


Transitioning from a specialist to a C-suite executive in the CPG industry requires a combination of strategic career moves, skill development, and personal growth. By focusing on developing a comprehensive skill set, embodying essential leadership qualities, and strategically navigating your career path, you can position yourself as an ideal candidate for executive roles. Remember, the journey to the C-suite is not just about reaching the top but about preparing to lead once you get there, driving your company forward with vision, strategy, and integrity.

Our Impact

In 1995, our founders embarked on a journey that would disrupt the status quo of the executive recruiting industry. We have been transforming companies and lives ever since.

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9,395

First Round Interviews

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3,000+

Total Placements

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47%

Diversity Placements

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$700M

Economic Impact

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Brent Albertson

CEO, Zing Zang LLC

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“ Our experience with Protis Global has been very positive. They have strong multi-industry CPG experience and understand our business model and standards. They know the difference between an “A-player” and a “B-player” in several functions, and the honesty around that standard helps us move faster. Mike and team set up a great process, especially in early canvassing and vetting that helps our leaders engage at the right time and make decisions fast. ”

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Colin Nolan

Executive Vice President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“Protis Global’s approach to talent acquisition is marked by diligence, transparency, and a genuine dedication to client satisfaction. Their strategic insights and personalized service have made a substantial impact on our organization, ensuring that we always have the best professionals driving our initiatives forward. The team at Protis Global demonstrates a keen ability to identify individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also align seamlessly with our company culture.”

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Hilal Tabsh

Chief Revenue Officer, Glass House Brands

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Cannabis

“Over the last 10+ years my experience with Michael Bitar and the Protis Global team has been exceptional across multiple industries. Michael and his team work to get to the true needs of my hiring plan and partner with us throughout the process. They understand our business, company culture, what success looks like, and then propose candidates that will produce results while also fitting into our team dynamic. Overall it’s a great team and experience and I would recommend to anyone looking to hire top-notch quality candidates reach out to Protis Global and Michael Bitar.”

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Peter Iglesias

Chief Executive Officer, Bespoken Spirits

Beer, Wine, & Spirits
Beer, Wine, & Spirits

“I highly recommend Protis Global as a top-notch recruiting agency. I have had the pleasure of working with them for the past 15 years, both as a candidate and employer in the Spirits and Wine industry. In my 25 years of experience, I have found Protis Global to be the most efficient and effective recruiting agency I have ever dealt with. Protis Global has consistently come through for me in the clutch, providing exceptional professionalism and execution in job searches and placements. Their dedication to finding the right fit for both candidates and employers sets them apart from other agencies. I have always been impressed by their ability to understand the needs of both parties and successfully connect them in a timely manner.”

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Soley Van Lokeren

SVP, People

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Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“I have been in the field of human resources for over thirty years, in executive level roles both in-house and in outsourced positions. Michael Bitar is my favorite talent acquisition professional with which I have ever worked. He cares deeply about building a relationship with his clients, learning their business, culture, challenges, and truly understanding the needs of a role requisition. His approach is mirrored by the rest of the Protis team, who are courteous, thorough, and who make you feel like you are their only client. Protis successfully delivered hires for our Chief Commercial Officer role and for three key challenging roles (in both Marketing and Sales). They are simply – the best!”

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Brian Kuz

Chief Sales Officer

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

“Protis is unique in their go-to-market strategy in that they not only find the right candidate for the role, but they find the right opportunity and company for the candidate. Protis Global looks for people who are ready to make a change...I will continue to recommend Protis Global as one of the best placement agencies in the World, as I have worked on every continent and have dealt with the big executive placement firms and the boutique ones. Protis shines above all, and as long as I am hiring, I will continue to go to Protis Global first, if not exclusively.”

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Chris Hall

CEO, poppi

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Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“Partnering with Protis Global has been a game-changer for poppi. They understood our vision and the unique challenges we faced as a rapidly growing brand. Their expertise in executive search helped us find the right leaders who not only fit our culture but also brought the skills and passion needed to drive accelerated growth. The Protis Global team actively took our feedback and adapted the search so that we could focus on what we do best – creating innovative, healthy beverages that our customers love. They’ve truly become an extension of our team, and we couldn’t imagine achieving our success without the team members they helped us to bring aboard.”

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Chad Palma

President of Sales, Spindrift

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“Michael Bitar and the Protis team have been such a pleasure to work with over the years. Not only do they do amazing work with recruiting but we have also developed a partnership between our two companies. Michael and his team provide a crucial role in reviewing my hiring needs at the beginning of each year. Once the review is complete, Michael begins searching for quality candidates that fit the role and culture for Spindrift. He and his team do an outstanding job of finding the right candidates for the position in need. I highly recommend Michael and the Protis team for your hiring needs.”

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John Sacksteder

President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“From the start, the relationship with Protis Global was different than other recruiting firms.  The team had a deeper level of commitment and desire to learn about our business than I had experienced with other firms. Our company was experiencing a time of exponential growth and our staffing needs were complex. We needed very experienced people across every possible function in the Operation and Supply Chain Teams and we needed them in a hurry. The Protis Global Team mobilized quickly and established a methodology to identify strong candidates and work them through the interview process in a professional and timely manner. Their grit, determination, understanding our needs and culture, sense of urgency and drive to exceed our expectations set them apart from the pack.”

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Kathleen Hutchison

Senior National Account Manager at Arla Foods

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

Kayla was awesome and very thorough in her vetting of candidates. She understood our brief as we were looking for candidates and helped to weed through those who were not a good fit for the role. 

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Thomas Frisch

Chief People Officer at IJW Whiskey

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“The team worked quickly and efficiently to find a unique position.”

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Kim Nguyen

VP of Supply Chain at Lallemand

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

Everyone involved was extremely helpful - Gary, Michael, Ben - thank you!! The team didn't only search for candidates based on the job description, but also the qualities that I look for in candidates. 

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Shashank Gaur

VP of Product Technology & Innovation

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The interview process was smooth and extremely professional. Ben and team represented me as much as they represented the company. 

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Jeremy Schulman

Regional Business Manager - Foodservice

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

Consistent communication, updates, and detailed knowledge of the client. The whole experience was top notch!

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Blake T. Bermingham

Supply Chain Manager

Beer, Wine, & Spirits
Beer, Wine, & Spirits

Very simplistic process finding the right role for the right candidate...keep up the great work! 

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Don Stohrer Jr.

CEO, Arla Foods USA

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

“We’ve been a Protis Global client for eight years, and during this time have always appreciated the thoroughness of the recruitment process, as the candidates brought to us have been well-vetted, not only from a competency perspective, but more importantly from a [cultural] fit dynamic. Mike and the team have always been highly engaged to ensure they bring us candidates that match our culture. That’s been critical to the success of the candidates that have landed here by way of our relationship with Protis.”

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