For decades, the fragrance and personal care industry was known for its stability.
Senior professionals often spent 15–20 years with the same global house — rising through the ranks in well-defined regional or functional paths. That loyalty built strong legacies and deep product expertise.
But the last few years have rewritten the playbook. Across APAC and Europe, more mid-senior and senior leaders are exploring new opportunities — many for the first time in their careers. They’re not chasing titles; they’re looking for relevance, agility, and purpose in an industry undergoing transformation.
A Shift That’s Quiet but Significant
At Stemgenic, we’ve seen a clear change in the mobility mindset.
Professionals who were once firmly anchored to the large global fragrance and personal care groups are now open to joining smaller, more innovative organizations.
Several key factors are driving this movement:
Corporate Restructuring and Leaner Operating Models
Mergers, reorganizations, and centralization have reshaped leadership structures. Many global houses are consolidating roles across markets, leading to overlapping responsibilities and limited vertical growth — prompting both mid-level and senior leaders to re-evaluate their next move.
Limited Growth Paths and Market Saturation
- In established regions, career progression has plateaued for many.
Mid-senior professionals — particularly in marketing, category management, and operations — often find their scope narrowing rather than expanding. Mid-sized or emerging brands, on the other hand, offer faster decision cycles, creative autonomy, and visible impact.
Relocation Mandates vs. Lifestyle Priorities
- Relocation requirements are another major catalyst.
Many global HQs are moving senior roles to Europe or North America, while leaders based in APAC are keen to stay closer to home. This has created a wave of senior professionals — from R&D to supply chain — open to regional or hybrid roles with more flexibility.
The Rise of Sustainability and Innovation-Driven Roles
- Traditional boundaries between functions are dissolving.
- Sustainability and innovation leadership are no longer niche. A Head of R&D is now expected to drive ESG strategy. A Commercial Director may own part of the sustainability roadmap.
- This convergence is creating entirely new career paths, attracting both mid-level specialists and senior executives who want to work at the intersection of creativity, science, and purpose.
Mid to Senior Talent: Seeking Broader Scope and Influence
At the mid to upper-mid level, we’re seeing professionals step away from narrow functions into cross-disciplinary leadership.
Fragrance Evaluators are moving into creation management and marketing interface roles.
Process Engineers and Production Leads are stepping into regional manufacturing transformation mandates.
Regulatory and Sustainability Specialists are gaining traction as core contributors to corporate ESG programs.
Category and Brand Managers from global groups are joining local innovators to build brands from scratch.
These transitions show a clear appetite for breadth over hierarchy — a mindset shift from career linearity to career agility.
Executive and Leadership Talent: Redefining the Top Table
At the leadership level, the motivations run deeper.
We’ve engaged with Regional Managing Directors, Commercial VPs, and Global Function Heads who no longer seek just “the next big job.” They want creative ownership, strategic voice, and operational freedom — qualities that often flourish in smaller or mid-tier setups.
In some cases, these leaders are taking consulting or board advisory roles, helping new entrants scale faster or established players expand into APAC. Others are relocating back to the region after global assignments, seeking proximity to emerging growth markets.
This blend of global expertise and regional adaptability is shaping a new generation of leadership — one defined not by company logos, but by impact and adaptability.
How Stemgenic is Supporting the Shift
At Stemgenic, we’ve had a front-row seat to this evolution.
From building a Centre of Excellence for a fragrance house in Singapore — hiring eight key leaders across R&D, operations, and commercial — to placing regional and global executives for personal care and ingredient firms across APAC, our role goes beyond traditional recruitment.
We help clients decode the motivation behind mobility — why a leader who once declined multiple approaches is now ready to move, and how to position your opportunity to align with that shift.
We’ve also been helping companies bridge sustainability and business leadership, identifying R&D, operations, and supply chain executives who bring both technical depth and ESG vision — a combination increasingly in demand across FMCG, personal care, and ingredient manufacturing sectors.
Looking Ahead: Leadership That Blends Artistry and Adaptability
The fragrance and personal care industry is entering a new chapter — one defined by agility, innovation, and purpose.
The leaders of tomorrow will not only understand the artistry behind scent or formulation, but also the science of sustainability and the economics of scale.
At Stemgenic, our mission remains simple:
To connect forward-thinking companies with leaders who can bridge creativity, sustainability, and strategy — driving growth in a rapidly evolving industry.
