As a headhunter, I speak with Supply Chain and Procurement leaders every day. The most common question?
How's the market?
This newsletter aims to help provide an easily digestible snapshot to answer this question. Built off of the conversations we have with leaders, this aims to provide a concise summary of what we've heard, the top movements we've seen, and the insights we think are helpful for you, published on a monthly basis, with a more detailed quarterly update.
This Month's Takeaways
As summer draws to a close, the Supply Chain and Procurement talent market has picked up pace. After a relatively quiet Q2, we've already seen a noticeable uptick in senior leadership moves and broader hiring activity.
Volatility is still shaping the market; hires have heavier scrutiny, headcounts require sign-off at more senior levels, and interview processes are getting longer; but momentum has clearly accelerated in Q3 so far, and August saw a sharp increase on July.
In particular, we've seen increased activity from Retail, Luxury, Consumer and Logistics businesses, and a sharp uptick in hiring in North America, and steadily high levels of activity in Asia. We expect Europe to pick up in September following the summer lull.
Executive Moves
August has been another busy month of senior leadership changes across Supply Chain and Procurement. We've seen a particularly high volume of Retail leadership changes, as well as key moves in FMCG, Medical Devices and Industrials.
- GXO Logistics, Inc.: Patrick Kelleher is appointed CEO, from his previous leadership role at DHL Supply Chain
- DHL Global Forwarding: Oscar de Bok is appointed CEO, following his leadership of DHL Supply Chain
- DHL Supply Chain: Hendrik Venter steps into the role of CEO, succeeding Oscar
- Levi Strauss & Co.: Chris Callieri joins as Chief Supply Chain Officer, from his role as CSCO of Victoria's Secret
- Bombas: Alex Poole joins as Chief Supply Chain Officer
- PUMA Group: Andreas Hubert is appointed Chief Operating Officer, following his extensive career with Adidas
- ALO Yoga: Chris Bonner joins as EVP Operations
- Carrier: Machiel Duijser joins as SVP Operations, following his role as CSCO at Ecolab
- Ecolab: Ben Clark succeeds Machiel as Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Kraft Heinz: Janelle Aydin steps into the role of Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer
- Khloud: Michael Maya joins as Chief Supply Chain Officer, from his previous role at Poppi
- The Toro Company: Edric Funk is promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer
- HealthTrust Performance Group: Todd Greener joins as Chief Operating Officer, from his previous role leading Tupperware
- Ahlsell Group: Anders Carlsson is appointed Chief Procurement & Supply Chain Officer
- Finolex Industries Ltd: SUMANTO BHANDARI joins as President & Chief Procurement Officer
- Zimmer Biomet: Scott Schwartz joins as Chief Procurement Officer, from his leadership role at Philips
- Gruppo Veroseni: Gianluca Mormile joins as Chief Industrial Officer, from his role at Flora Food Group
A particularly busy month, with July and August having more Executive Moves than the whole of Q2 at this stage, and a busy September expected.
Regional Snapshot:
North America is leading the rebound. After a muted Q2 marked by tariff uncertainty, hiring momentum has returned with strength, an August has definitely been busy. We’ve seen an uptick in senior leadership appointments across Manufacturing, Procurement, and Operations, and I hear from candidates that they are finding themselves approached more and more in the past month.
Europe has been subdued over the summer - a familiar seasonal pattern as hiring typically slows in August. That said, the pipeline of vacancies has already started to build, and September is shaping up to be one of the busiest months of the year. We expect a concentrated period of hiring activity moving forward, but August has followed it's typical seasonal lull.
Asia Pacific remains the most dynamic market globally. Hiring activity continues to be fuelled by supply chain diversification strategies, and August typically does not slow down in Asia the way it does in Europe, or less so in North America.
The GCC continues to strengthen as a strategic logistics and manufacturing hub, with strategic relevance irrespective of tariff policy, although August was predictably quiet for hiring.
Functional Trends:
Demand for strategic, top-level supply chain leadership continues to rise, with significant shifts at the C and C-1 levels. As companies adjust to the new geopolitical landscape and move past earlier pauses driven by US tariff policy, transformation programmes that were previously delayed are now back on the agenda.
Centres of Excellence & Operational Excellence Leaders who can drive global standardisation, Lean transformation, and operational consistency remain highly sought after. Businesses are under pressure to do more with less, making CoE and Operational Excellence talent critical to achieving scale, efficiency, and cost optimisation across global operations. Strategic locations for these hubs include Europe (Iberia and Eastern Europe), Asia (Malaysia and the Philippines), and LATAM, and hiring remains consistent at both leadership and operational levels.
Technology & Data Leadership There is increasing appetite for supply chain technology and data talent. Leaders with experience in digitisation, analytics, ML/AI, and IBP transformation are highly valued - particularly those who can turn insights into operational impact and support decision-making in complex environments.
Procurement Transformation Procurement remains a major focus, especially at C and C-1 levels, although August was notably quiet for CPO moves. Companies are ramping up digital transformation programmes, driving demand for leaders from Head of Procurement Excellence to CPO level who can lead strategic initiatives and deliver measurable value. We expect to see these roles increase into September.
Manufacturing, Maintenance & Quality Leaders capable of driving productivity, reliability, and operational excellence on the ground - particularly in capital-intensive or multi-site operations - are in high demand. These roles are critical to translating strategic initiatives into tangible results across global supply chains.
Private Equity Influence Private Equity activity remains a key driver of executive demand, though it has become more selective. Funds continue to invest in value creation, with supply chain leadership serving as a central lever for both growth and operational turnaround strategies. This is increasing competition for experienced CSCOs and their direct reports, creating retention challenges for traditional multinationals.
Conclusions & September Outlook
As we move into September, I am cautiously optimistic about the state of the market. Companies pressed pause following the announcement of tariffs, but as financial markets recover, and the dust settles, companies are beginning to come back to the hiring table - and a robust, agile Supply Chain is often a top priority.
I expect September to be busy, with an increase in both advertised roles, and confidential searches.
Want More?
Feel free to check out our recent Supply Chain Stories episodes published in August with Donato Giorgio, President Global Supply Chain with Essity, or with Chris Droney, Chief Operating Offer of Milo's Tea Company, Inc., or my colleague, Holly Pattison's spotlight on Women Leading Supply Chain with Karen-Marie Katholm, Chief Supply Chain Officer of AkzoNobel on our blog below!
https://www.pod-talent.com/cm/blog
This is the first edition, and hopefully the first of many more in this series. If you have any feedback, please feel free to contact sam.berke@pod-talent.com, especially with constructive criticisms or insight you'd like to hear more of!
Thank you for reading.