When on the air for Supply Chain Stories, we continue our series of recorded interviews with Chief Supply Chain Officers to provide advice, guidance and mentorship to the supply chain community. In partnership with top supply chain recruitment agencies and specialist supply chain headhunters, Sam Berke, Head of Global Supply Chain Search at Pod Talent, spoke with Maciej Kaniowski, ex–Chief Operating Officer at Avon, whose extensive career spans senior roles at Avon, Mars, and numerous Private Equity portfolio companies.
Leadership Lessons from Maciej Kaniowski
In this episode, Sam Berke sits down with Maciej Kaniowski—former Operations Leader at Avon and veteran of both corporate and private equity environments—to explore the lessons that have shaped his leadership journey across Mars, private equity, and beyond. This deep dive offers a case study in targeted supply chain recruitment strategies for executive hires.
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Formative Advice: Maciej shares early career counsel—“Brace for impact”—that still resonates when entering high-accountability, fast-paced settings.
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Private Equity Mindset: He highlights the value of experiencing private equity environments to sharpen bias for action and value creation beyond cost and service metrics. LSI enrichment: value creation strategies, high-performance supply chain teams.
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Critical Future Skills:
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Deep understanding of value creation beyond traditional metrics.
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Comfort with business model transformation and operational change.
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Strong technical proficiency in digital and AI-enhanced systems.
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Building and leading high-performing, tech-augmented teams.
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Cross-functional influence: communicating strategy beyond the supply chain silo.
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Broader Business Acumen: He urges young professionals to pursue cross-functional roles in sales or marketing to round out strategic insight.
Key Takeaways:
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Partner with supply chain recruitment agencies to find executives experienced in both corporate and private equity contexts.
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Use scenarios like “Brace for impact” to assess candidates’ bias for action and value-creation mindset.
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Prioritise digital fluency and AI system proficiency when screening through supply chain recruiters.
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Encourage cross-functional rotations (sales, marketing) to build business acumen and stakeholder influence.
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Leverage insights from supply chain headhunters on evolving C-Suite competencies: transformation leadership, agility, and tech adoption.
FAQs:
Q: What is the Supply Chain Stories series?
A: A podcast by Pod Talent where supply chain recruiters interview C-Suite officers to share leadership and career insights.
Q: How can a supply chain recruitment agency help C-Suite hiring?
A: They tap deep networks, vet for private equity and corporate leadership experience, and match strategy-driven candidates to roles.
Q: Which skills do modern supply chain headhunters prioritise?
A: Value-creation expertise, business model transformation, digital/AI system proficiency, and cross-functional influence.
Q: Why is cross-functional experience important?
A: Roles in sales or marketing build broader business acumen, enhancing candidates’ ability to influence strategy beyond supply chain.
Q: How do I prepare for a supply chain recruiter interview at executive level?
A: Highlight high-impact projects (“Brace for impact”), demonstrate digital leadership, and showcase value-creation metrics.