From Technical Expert to Strategic Leader: Navigating Your Career Path in Packaging

The packaging industry continues to evolve at a remarkable pace, shaped by sustainability imperatives, digitisation, automation, and shifting consumer expectations. For professionals in this sector, technical expertise remains a critical foundation—but increasingly, it is leadership capability that defines long-term career success. At the same time, hiring managers face the challenge of identifying, nurturing, and retaining talent that can bridge both worlds: technical depth and strategic vision.

For Candidates: Expanding Beyond Technical Mastery

Early in a packaging career, advancement is often built on subject matter expertise—whether in materials science, design, production engineering, or process optimisation. However, as professionals progress, technical skill alone may not guarantee advancement. To move into senior leadership or general management roles, candidates must cultivate additional competencies:

• Strategic Thinking – Understanding how packaging impacts brand positioning, supply chain efficiency, sustainability goals, and consumer experience.

• Commercial Acumen – Connecting technical decisions to cost structures, customer requirements, and business performance.

• People Leadership – Developing the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence stakeholders, and mentor emerging talent.

• Change Management – Driving transformation in an industry that is adapting rapidly to environmental regulations, automation, and new materials.

Candidates who recognise this inflection point early and intentionally broaden their skillsets stand out. Professional development programmes, mentorship, and cross-functional project work are invaluable avenues for accelerating this growth.

For Hiring Managers: Identifying and Developing Future Leaders

From a recruitment and retention perspective, organisations must look beyond immediate technical gaps. The leaders of tomorrow will be those who can navigate complexity and inspire teams while still appreciating the technical backbone of the industry. Hiring managers should focus on:

• Potential Over Perfection – Seek candidates who demonstrate adaptability, curiosity, and emotional intelligence, even if their leadership journey is still in progress.

• Structured Development – Offer pathways for high-potential technical experts to gain exposure to commercial, strategic, and people-focused responsibilities.

• Succession Planning – Build robust pipelines that prepare technical talent for broader leadership roles, reducing the risk of critical knowledge gaps in the future.

• Employer Branding – Position your organisation as a place where talent can grow holistically, not just technically. This is increasingly a differentiator in a competitive talent market.

Building the Bridge Between Expertise and Leadership

The most effective packaging leaders are those who respect and understand technical complexity but can elevate their perspective to broader business and human capital considerations. The industry needs leaders who can champion innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence while aligning teams behind a shared vision.

For candidates, this means being intentional about stepping outside your comfort zone. For hiring managers, it means fostering an environment where technical experts can evolve into strategic leaders.

At Athena Executive Search, we see this as one of the most significant shifts shaping the future of the packaging industry. The organisations and professionals who embrace this transition will be the ones best positioned to thrive.

📩 If you’re a candidate ready to take the next step in your career, or a hiring manager seeking to build future-ready leadership within your organisation, we’d love to start the conversation. Contact us at enquiries@athena-executive.com.