The Right People in the Right Seats: Why it’s Important

Silhouetted so-called right people sitting round a conference table
July 14, 2021

“The Right People in the Right Seats” is a popular mantra, but mantras become set in stone, and business is changing.

Nothing has changed, of course, about the need for leadership and technical skills to be available in correct but differing proportions according to job title and role within the C-suite. But it’s more important than ever to acknowledge that the market has re-invented itself post Covid. Essential skills, roles, and necessary attitudes are having to evolve in all sectors, and the CPG industry is no exception.

Diving a bit deeper

These are some examples of the kind of thinking that’s now crucial to winning in business.

Right People: the COO

Many key business decisions in the CPG industry are being scrutinized and revised post Covid. Reporting directly to the CEO, the COO must now be even more confident to take many more high-stake decisions. The right person will almost certain need broad experience in both operations and finance, since the two are inextricably linked.

Right People: the CFO

Spreadsheet skills are no longer enough. The right CFO will have a mindset open to agile working. For example, they must embrace the value of financing small-scale testing. Supply chain management in a post-Covid world is fluid and demanding, so this might mean trialing a possible change of direction before roll-out to the whole operation. The CFO might also need to allow decision-making nearer to the point of use instead of taking full control themselves.

Right People: the CMO

The right CMO clearly still needs an understanding of traditional markets. They also now need to grasp new and important opportunities.

For example, many CPG customers started shopping locally in lockdown, and continue to support local vendors whose value they now recognize.

The CMO must be willing to vary methods according to all such emerging trends – and there are many.

Right People: the CSO

Understanding the client’s needs is still important for sales, but the right sales lead will also need to pay careful attention to data in a new way.

Accessing and understanding a more granular view of when and where sales are made and how the market is changing will enable the sales team to unlock new markets faster. This is essential as the CPG market dynamic continues to shift.

Right People: the Brand Manager

Your brand manager needs to understand not only every aspect of their CPG branding but also the changing arena your brand now operates in.

Disrupters are taking advantage of social and digital marketing. They no longer need big-brand marketing budgets to seize market share.

Digital channels mean other brands are as visible as yours. So the right brand manager has to consider innovative ways to keep customers loyal, such as a direct-to-consumer approach.

Right People in IT

It is no longer sufficient to work in a silo organizing the business’s technology. The IT system needs to join up all departments, using software that

  • enhances time management
  • maximizes cloud use
  • produces data in real time that is analyzed and dispensed to the people who need to view it.

Are your right people in the right seats? Matching your business set-up against the fast-moving CPG market situation will ensure your senior people have the best mindset for their current roles.

We Can Help You Achieve Success

At Momentum CPG, we are committed to overcoming the sales barriers that are holding back your growth. We can help you assess your current situation, whether it’s the people or the roles they’re in. Request a consultation today.

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