News & Updates

Coles and Woolworths have both collapsed siloed commercial, digital and customer functions into single roles. The executives who thrive next will be integrators, and FMCG search has to change to find them.

Half of working Australians reported burnout in the past year. The bigger risk to FMCG leadership isn't the executive who visibly crashes. It's the one who looks fine. And it's now a legal duty for boards.

Private label is now about 36% of Australian grocery sales and growing faster than brands. For branded FMCG, this is a structural shift that demands a different kind of commercial leader.

Mars completed its US$36 billion Kellanova acquisition in December 2025, and Kellogg's Australian operations are now being folded in. When global FMCG giants merge, local leadership is where the risk sits.

Australia recorded 49 ASX 200 CFO appointments in 2025, the highest in 7 years. For FMCG, food and beverage and fresh produce boards, the question isn't whether to replace finance leadership. It's why the role keeps turning over.

Australia's food manufacturing sector turned over $173 billion in 2023/24. 40% of the workforce in critical occupations is expected to leave the sector within a decade. Senior supply chain leadership is the gap most boards aren't planning for.

The Mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is now law in Australia. Penalties reach $10M or 10% of turnover. Most mid-tier FMCG suppliers don't have the leadership capability to navigate what's coming.

74% of Australian food and grocery businesses are investing in generative AI. Coles saved $327 million through machine learning in a single year. FMCG boards are still hiring CEOs without AI literacy on the brief.

And What It Means for Australia’s Next Wave of Executive Hires