New Year's Resolutions: A Strategic Blueprint for Boards and C-Suite Executives in the Food & Beverage Industry
Debbie Morrison • January 7, 2024

The advent of a new year often brings with it the tradition of setting resolutions, a practice that extends into the professional realm, particularly for leaders in dynamic sectors like the Food & Beverage industry. For boards and C-suite executives, 2024 presents an unprecedented opportunity to redefine leadership and organisational goals through the lens of micro-resolutions - small, manageable changes that can lead to significant outcomes.


Embracing Micro-Resolutions for Personal Growth

Why Start Small?

In an industry as fast-paced and ever-evolving as Food & Beverage, large, sweeping resolutions can often be daunting and less feasible. This is where micro-resolutions come in. They are about making small, incremental changes that are easier to stick to and can lead to larger, more sustainable impacts over time.


What Can Executives Do?

Boards and C-suite executives should start by identifying key areas for personal growth and professional development. This could range from enhancing industry knowledge, improving leadership skills, or adopting new technology trends. The key is to break these down into smaller, actionable steps. For instance, instead of broadly aiming to 'improve leadership skills', set a micro-resolution to 'mentor a team member bi-weekly'.


Staying on Track

Regular self-assessment is crucial. Executives should schedule monthly check-ins to evaluate their progress and make adjustments as needed. This approach ensures that resolutions are adaptable and aligned with evolving personal and professional landscapes.


Setting Teams Up for Success

Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Leaders in the Food & Beverage industry must also focus on setting their teams up for success. This involves creating an environment that encourages continuous learning and improvement.


How to Achieve This?

  • Promote Skill Development: Encourage team members to set their own micro-resolutions focused on skill development. This could be learning a new software, enhancing customer service skills, or understanding the latest food safety regulations.
  • Create Collaborative Goals: Align team micro-resolutions with broader organisational objectives. For instance, if a company's goal is to reduce waste, a team micro-resolution could be to implement a new recycling program.

The Role of Feedback

Regular feedback is essential. Leaders should provide constructive feedback to help team members stay on track with their micro-resolutions and recognize their achievements, thereby fostering a positive and motivated workforce.


Aligning New Opportunities with Micro-Goals

Assessing Leadership Opportunities

For executives considering new job opportunities, aligning these with micro-goals is vital. This approach allows for a more strategic assessment of whether a new role aligns with personal and professional objectives.


Key Considerations:

  • Cultural Fit: Does the organisation's culture align with your values?
  • Growth Opportunities: Are there opportunities for professional development that align with your micro-resolutions?
  • Impact Potential: Can you make a meaningful impact in this role?

Making the Decision

Before making a move, leaders should evaluate the potential role against their set micro-resolutions. If the opportunity advances these goals, it can be a strong indicator that the role is a good fit.


Supporting Staff Development with Micro-Goals

Nurturing Talent in the Food & Beverage Industry

The Food & Beverage industry is highly competitive, and retaining top talent is crucial for success. Executives can play a key role in this by supporting the professional development of their staff through micro-goals.


How to Implement:

  • Individual Development Plans: Work with team members to create personalised development plans that include micro-resolutions.
  • Learning Opportunities: Provide resources and opportunities for learning, such as workshops, seminars, or online courses relevant to the Food & Beverage industry.

Ensuring Optimal Performance

To ensure optimal performance, executives should regularly monitor the progress of these development plans and adjust as necessary. Recognizing and rewarding achievements related to these micro-goals can also significantly boost morale and productivity.


Conclusion: A Year of Transformation

As we step into 2024, the emphasis for boards and C-suite executives in the Food & Beverage industry should be on flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. By setting and pursuing micro-resolutions, leaders can not only enhance their own professional growth but also drive their teams and organisations towards greater success.


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.
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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.