- Deep interest and passion for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail
- Prior experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods or Retail space
- Self-Starter who demonstrates Creativity, Drive & Leadership, but who is also humble
- Someone who’s likeable & confident, but isn’t afraid to ask for help when they need it
Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail
General Requirements
Skills required
- Strategic Thinking
- Team Player
- Strong Influencer and Negotiator
- Innovator
- Understanding Pricing & it’s impact on the Entire Business
- Planning & Execution
- Dealing with Ambiguity
- Anticipating Market Trends
- Strong Financial Analytics
- Understanding how Decisions impact the entire business
- Coping & Adapting to Market Shifts quickly
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Advanced Excel skills
- Servant Leadership
Type of Jobs
- Marketing – Brand Management, Insights & Analytics, Innovation, Digital & eCommerce
- General Management – Rotational Leadership Programs that provide broad Business exposure
- Sales – Business to Consumer (B2C), Business to Business (B2B)
- Finance – Corporate, Category & Plant Finance, Merchandise Planning, Retail Store Ops or Real Estate
- Supply Chain – Operations Management, Sourcing or Planning & Forecasting
- Category Management – Owning the Profit & Loss for a specific product or portfolio
- Merchandising – Buyer, Strategic Pricing Consultant, or Pricing Analyst
- Technology – Information Data & Innovation, eCommerce and Digital Infrastructure
- Human Resources – Generalist or Specialized
- Internal Strategy – Marketing, Loyalty & Process Improvement and/or Profit Improvement Manager
- Six Sigma – Process Improvement
Technical Preparation/Knowledge Building
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- Time required to prep – Depending on the functional roles, many recruitment processes now involve a combination of Behaviour, Situational and Case Interviews
- Blogs, Associations, Conferences:
- CPG Connect: http://cpgconnect.ca
- Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) http://www.fcpc.ca
- Retail Council of Canada http://www.retailcouncil.org/
- Forrester Blogs http://blogs.forrester.com/category/retail
- Retail Customer Experience.com http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/blogs/
- LinkedIn – Consumer Goods & Retail Professionals Group
Internal Resources
- Rotman Faculty
- Rotman MBA & Graduate Career Centre
- Various Rotman Student-led Clubs – Rotman Marketing Association (RMA), Rotman Operations Management Association (ROMA), Rotman Business Analytics Club (RBAC) etc.
External Resources
- Industry Associations:
- Network for Executive Women (NEW) http://www.newonline.org
- CPG Connect http://cpgconnect.ca
- Consumer Health Products of Canada – http://www.chpcanada.ca
- Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) http://www.fcpc.ca
- Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CCTFA)
- Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) https://www.canadianresearchinsightscouncil.ca/
- GreenBook Blog: Charting the Future of Market Research http://www.greenbookblog.org
- Retail Council of Canada http://www.retailcouncil.org/
- Retail Merchants’ Association of Canada
- Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada
- Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA) http://www.scmanational.ca/
- Association for Operations Management (APICS) – https://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/workers/skills-certifications/association-for-operations-management-apics/
- Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) http://www.poms.org/
- Industry Magazines:
- Canada’s Food & Beverage Processing Magazine http://www.foodincanada.com
- Consumer Goods Technology http://consumergoods.edgl.com/magazine
- Canadian Retailer Magazine http://www.retailcouncil.org/publications/canadian-retailer
- Retail Insider http://www.retail-insider.com/
- Various Consulting Industry Reports