SECURING HIGH-PERFORMING FMCG, Food & Beverage AND Fresh Produce leaders to drive your business forward

Executive Search and Retained Recruitment across ANZ & APAC, from senior executives to key management roles.

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TRUSTED BY Industry

Recognising Your Industry's Unique Challenges

Our deep understanding of the FMCG sector ensures we deliver leadership solutions that align perfectly with your business needs.

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Deep Dive into Your Business

Our process starts with a comprehensive consultation, during which we immerse ourselves in your business’s strategic goals, culture, and unique challenges. We recognise that every assignment is unique. 

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Proactive Talent Mapping

We don't wait for talent to come to us. We proactively map the FMCG landscape, targeting the high-performing professionals who aren't actively seeking new roles, ensuring you're connected with the best talent.

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Precision in Selection

Our rigorous selection process, including behavioural assessments and cultural alignment checks, ensures that the leaders we place are a fit for the role and a driving force for your company's growth.

Our Services

Leveraging our 30 years of experience in executive search in FMCG and food and beverage manufacturing, we specialise in delivering tailored solutions for executive and senior roles. 

Executive Search

Find the right C-suite, executive leaders, and NED who align with your FMCG business goals and vision.

Retained Recruitment

Supporting senior management and department head roles through our dedicated retained recruitment model.

Interim Executive

Fill crucial leadership gaps with experienced interim executives to ensure continuity and stability.

Executive Assessment

Our assessment services use detailed psychometric and behavioural evaluations to ensure you find the right skills and cultural fit within or outside your organisation. 

Talent Mapping 

Our talent mapping services provide you with critical insights into the market, including competitor intelligence and identification of key players. 

6-weeks Turnaround Time

We adjust timelines based on urgency to meet your needs. Our search projects typically take 4-6 weeks to shortlist. Our efficient and methodical approach ensures you secure the right leadership without unnecessary delays.


Contact us today to start finding the best talent for your FMCG business.

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Decades of FMCG Experience

With over 30 years of executive leadership in the FMCG industry, John Elliott delivers unmatched expertise in building high-performing leadership teams. His deep industry knowledge and hands-on experience ensure your business secures the high performers needed to drive growth and innovation—partner with John to leverage his insights and elevate your organisation's leadership.

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We set out to create an executive search firm that truly understands your industry, solving hiring challenges with insights from those who’ve walked in your shoes.” - John Elliott, Founder.

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Expertise Across Every Role and Sector Across FMCG

Specialising in C-suite, NED, executive management, heads of department, and senior management roles tailored to various functional areas and categories.

Functional Areas


Finance


Human Resources


Marketing


Procurement


Operations


Retail Operations


Sales


Supply Chain & Logistics


Technical 


Categories


Stop relying on outdated recruitment methods—partner with FMCG experts who consistently deliver leaders that drive your business forward.

Industry Insights & Updates

With our extensive experience in the FMCG sector, we know which latest news is turning heads in the industry. Our updates help you stay informed and connected, ensuring you remain relevant in a constantly evolving market.

A woman is holding two bottles of cosmetics in her hands.
By John Elliott April 21, 2025
Australia’s health, wellness, and supplements sector isn’t just growing. It’s exploding. From functional drinks to adaptogenic gummies, wellness brands have gone from niche to mainstream in record time. The industry is now worth over $5.6 billion, up from $4.7 billion in 2020 — a 19% growth in just three years. IBISWorld projects continued expansion with a CAGR of 5.3% through 2028. But behind the glossy packaging and influencer campaigns, something else is happening: the regulators have arrived. And most wellness brands? They’re underprepared. From Trend to Target The boom brought founders, fitness coaches, nutritionists, and marketing entrepreneurs into the supplement space. What many built was impressive. But what most forgot was how fast wellness moves from enthusiasm to enforcement. With more than 40 infringement notices and administrative sanctions in Q1 alone, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) strengthened enforcement of the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code in early 2024. Prominent companies were named in public. Soon after, the ACCC revised its guidelines for influencer marketing disclosures and launched a campaign against the use of pseudoscientific terminology in product marketing. TGA head Professor Anthony Lawler noted in March 2024: “We’re seeing an unacceptably high level of non-compliance, particularly around unsubstantiated therapeutic claims.” In short: credibility is the new battleground. Why Sales-First Leadership is Failing Too many brands are still led by executives whose playbooks were built on community engagement, retail hustle, and Instagram fluency. That got them early traction. But it won’t keep them compliant — or protect them from an investor exodus when the lawsuits begin. The biggest risks now are not formulation errors. They’re: Claims breaches Compliance negligence Advertising missteps Unqualified health endorsements Reputational collapse through regulatory exposure And these aren’t theoretical. The TGA pulled 197 listed medicines from the market in 2023 alone — a 42% increase on the previous year — due to non-compliant claims or sponsor breaches. What the Next Wellness Leader Looks Like This is where many boards and founders face a difficult transition. The next generation of leadership in wellness isn’t defined by hustle. It’s defined by: Deep regulatory fluency Cross-functional commercial leadership (eComm, retail, pharma, FMCG) Reputation management under pressure Ability to scale with scrutiny, not just speed The leadership profiles now needed aren’t coming out of marketing agencies — they’re coming out of pharmaceuticals, healthtech, and functional food. They’ve sat on regulatory committees. They’ve built compliance-first commercial strategies. They understand how to win trust, not just impressions. Yes, this might feel like a shift away from the founder-led energy that made these brands exciting. But it’s not about slowing down. It’s about making sure you’re still standing when the music stops. Where the Gaps Are The underlying problem isn’t just non-compliance. It's immaturity in structural leadership. The majority of wellness brands haven't developed: An accountable governance structure; a scalable compliance architecture; a risk-aware marketing culture; and any significant succession planning beyond the founder. In fact, a 2023 survey by Complementary Medicines Australia found that only 22% of wellness businesses had dedicated compliance leadership at executive level, and just 14% had formal succession plans in place. This isn’t sustainable — not at scale, and certainly not under scrutiny. Final Thought The wellness boom isn’t over. But the rules have changed. Rapid growth is no longer enough. The brands that win from here will be those with: A compliance culture baked in Leadership teams built for complexity A board that sees regulation not as a barrier, but a brand advantage Those who don’t? They could be one audit away from crisis.
A Farmer walking through a barn, using a laptop with cows eating hay nearby.
By John Elliott April 17, 2025
Australia’s meat sector is facing a leadership vacuum. Explore the hidden crisis behind staffing, succession, and ESG risk in food manufacturing.
By John Elliott April 6, 2025
Comfort has become the silent killer of executive performance. In an era defined by disruption, volatility, and shrinking margins, too many leadership teams are still optimising for control, not adaptability. They talk about transformation, but build cultures of stability. They prize clarity, yet avoid the ambiguity where real growth lives. The problem isn’t capability. It’s discomfort intolerance. The solution? Start hiring and promoting leaders who deliberately seek discomfort—not just those who can tolerate it when it arrives. Growth Mindset Isn’t Enough Anymore You’ve heard the term "growth mindset" countless times. It’s become a leadership cliché. But it’s not wrong—it’s just incomplete. A growth mindset says, "I believe I can learn." Discomfort-driven leadership says, "I will actively seek out the hardest experiences because that’s where I’ll grow fastest." The distinction matters. Leaders with a growth mindset tend to thrive when external change forces them to adapt. But leaders who embrace discomfort create those conditions on purpose. They invite hard feedback. They question their own success. They take action before external pressure arrives. According to a 2023 study by Deloitte, only 22% of executives say their leadership team is “very prepared” for the future—despite record spending on transformation programmes (Deloitte Human Capital Trends, 2023). That gap exists because most teams are trained to manage change , not lead into uncertainty . Ask yourself: Are you hiring leaders who wait for disruption—or ones who walk towards it? Discomfort Is the Driver of Strategic Advantage Companies don’t fall behind because they make bad decisions. They fall behind because their leaders avoid the hard ones. In high-stakes industries like FMCG, where regulatory pressure, margin compression, and shifting consumer loyalty are accelerating, comfort is dangerous. It fosters: Short-termism Decision paralysis Lack of innovation Cultural stagnation McKinsey found that organisations with a strong tolerance for ambiguity—where leaders frequently challenge their own assumptions—are 2.4x more likely to be top-quartile performers on total shareholder returns (McKinsey & Company, 2022). In other words: embracing discomfort isn’t a trait—it’s a multiplier. Let’s take an example. When COVID hit, Lion Brewery—one of Australia's largest beer producers—was forced to rethink logistics and supply overnight. But smaller craft breweries who had already diversified through direct-to-consumer models adapted faster. Why? Their founders had already been operating in discomfort. They were trained for volatility. What Discomfort-Driven Leaders Actually Do Differently You can spot these leaders. They don’t always look like the most confident in the room—but they’re always the most effective in a storm. They: Seek feedback from critics, not fans Prioritise strategy over popularity Tackle underperformance head-on—even if it means conflict Ask hard questions that slow down groupthink Regularly step out of their functional lane to challenge assumptions They also act . Not rashly—but decisively. In a recent Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) survey, directors ranked “resilience and adaptability” as the #1 trait they now seek in new appointments—outranking experience for the first time (AICD, 2024). That’s not a trend. It’s a shift in what leadership now demands. The Real Cost of Hiring for Comfort Not hiring discomfort-driven leaders isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a risk. Here’s what it’s costing you: Strategic Drift: Without challenge, strategies become stale. Your team optimises yesterday’s model. Talent Exodus: Top performers disengage when they see leadership avoiding tough calls. Innovation Bottlenecks: Safe cultures don’t take smart risks. New ideas die in committee. Crisis Fragility: Leaders who haven’t been tested won’t perform when stakes are high. Bain & Company found that companies with decision-making cultures built around speed and tension—not consensus—were 95% more likely to deliver sustained value creation (Bain, 2023). Ask yourself: Is your executive team equipped for bold calls—or just built for calm waters? How to Identify Discomfort-Driven Leaders in Interviews Everyone talks a good game in interviews. But few have the scar tissue that comes from operating in real discomfort. The trick is to go beyond surface-level success stories. Here’s how: Ask Better Questions: “What’s the most uncomfortable decision you’ve made in the last 12 months—and how did it play out?” “Tell me about a time you got strong pushback from your team. What did you do?” “What’s a belief you held strongly that you’ve now abandoned?” “When have you chosen a path that was harder in the short term, but better long term?” Look for: Specificity (vagueness = theory, not lived experience) Self-awareness without self-promotion Signs of humility: they talk about learning, not just winning Evidence of risk-taking: role changes, cross-functional moves, or failed experiments Pro tip: Ask referees how the leader handles ambiguity. Not just performance. This will tell you more about how they lead under pressure. What to Do Now: Practical Actions for Executive Teams If you want to build a leadership culture of discomfort, you have to engineer it. It won’t happen organically in high-performing, risk-averse teams. Here’s how to start: Audit Your Current Team: When was the last time each leader took on something that scared them? Rethink Talent Criteria: Shift from stability and experience to adaptability and action under pressure. Redesign Development: Stretch your execs with ambiguous, cross-functional challenges—not just workshops. Model It at the Top: If the CEO isn’t embracing discomfort, no one else will. You don’t need to create chaos. You just need to stop insulating your leaders from discomfort—and start asking them to seek it. The Discomfort Dividend You can’t build a future-ready business with comfort-first leadership. The next generation of strategic advantage will come not from better processes or faster tech—but from bolder human decisions. From leaders who are willing to feel awkward, wrong, or out of their depth—because they know that’s where the value is. So next time you're hiring a leader, ask yourself: Are they looking for clarity—or ready to lead without it? Do they want the role—or are they ready for the risk that comes with it? Are they seeking comfort—or prepared to create discomfort for progress? Because in 2025, comfort is a luxury your business can’t afford .
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faq

  • What roles does ELR Executive typically recruit?

    ELR Executive specialises in recruiting for a broad range of high-level roles within the FMCG sector, including Non-Executive Directors, C-Suite positions, and senior management roles in areas such as Finance, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Marketing, Procurement, Operations, Retail Operations, Sales, Supply Chain & Logistics, and Technical functions.

  • Why should we use ELR Executive?

    With over 30 years of experience in the FMCG industry, ELR Executive is uniquely positioned to deliver top-tier leadership talent. Our customised, rigorous search methodology ensures that we find highly skilled leaders who are a perfect fit for your company's culture and long-term goals. Our 98% placement rate and 100% retention rate speak to our ability to deliver high-performing talent that drives growth and success.

  • What clients/companies do we represent?

    ELR Executive partners with some of the most renowned FMCG businesses across Australia, working within key industry categories such as Bakery and Confectionery, Beer and spirits, Beverage Manufacturing, Dairy, Food Manufacturing, Health and wellness, Meat and poultry Processing, Pet Food Manufacturing, Pharmacy, Vitamins and supplements, and Retail Operations.

  • What happens in the event of a problem hire?

    At ELR Executive, we stand by the quality of our placements. In the unlikely event of a problem hire, we offer a six-month replacement guarantee, ensuring your organisation continues to benefit from high-performing talent without disruption. Our process includes rigorous assessments and regular follow-ups to minimise risks, providing a smooth and successful transition for your new leader.

  • How does the exec search process work?

    Our executive search process begins with a deep dive into your organisation's needs, goals, and culture. We then map the talent landscape, leveraging our extensive network and market knowledge to identify and engage with both active and passive candidates. We conduct rigorous assessments, including in-depth interviews and behavioural evaluations, to ensure a strong fit. Throughout the process, we maintain full transparency, providing regular updates and ensuring you have the information you need to make informed decisions.

  • So how do we get started?

    Getting started with ELR Executive is simple. Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your specific needs and goals. From there, we'll work with you to develop a tailored strategy for your executive search, providing ongoing support and expertise at every process step. Contact us today to find leaders who will drive your FMCG business forward.

  • What is an Interim executive?

    An interim executive is a senior professional who temporarily fills a key leadership role within an organisation. These executives are often brought in during periods of transition, crisis, or sudden vacancy that needs to be filled quickly. Interim executives are experienced leaders who can provide stability, strategic direction, and management expertise while the company searches for a permanent replacement or navigates a challenging period. Their roles vary widely, from CEO and CFO positions to senior management roles, depending on the organisation's needs.

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