Food and Beverage Recruiters

Our Approach to Food and Beverage Executive Search

When we partner with clients, our team of headhunters work to gain deeper insight into their business. Prior to conducting the search, we meet with our clients and their stakeholders to determine their business goals and needs and what they expect from the candidate. We also evaluate your current workforce to pinpoint talent gaps and identify the specific skills, experience, and leadership qualities needed to bridge them effectively. This analysis allows us to form a search strategy.

Once the key criteria are defined, we conduct a comprehensive and targeted search to find the ideal professional for your organization. By utilizing traditional recruitment methods and tapping into our network, we engage with both active job seekers and high-performing individuals who may not currently be pursuing new opportunities but could be enticed by the right role. Combining this approach with innovative recruitment techniques allows us to create a diverse pool of top-tier candidates.

Our assessment process is rigorous. Keller executive recruiters perform extensive checks on each candidate to ensure they meet our client’s hiring requirements. These include:

• Background checks
• Criminal checks
• Reference checks
• Skill-based competency testing
• Behavioral and personality assessments
• Industry-specific knowledge evaluations

What makes our searches successful is our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the search process. All candidates will be treated fairly and without biases concerning their age, belief, ethnicity, and gender.

All candidates who pass our assessment are presented to the clients for final interviews.

Behind Our Process

When Keller started, we followed a more generalized approach to recruitment, prioritizing quick turnaround times over deeper evaluations of a candidate’s alignment with the organization. This method was effective for filling lower-level roles but fell short when addressing the hiring needs for high-stakes positions. In one case, a candidate who had the necessary skills and technical qualifications struggled to adapt to the company’s culture and ended up disrupting the team dynamics. This setback highlighted the need to look beyond resumes when determining who best fits the role.

Since then, we have invested heavily in developing a more sophisticated and holistic methodology that also takes into account the nuances of the organization we are working with, as well as the industry they operate in. Our methodology now goes beyond surface-level qualifications and includes conducting an in-depth analysis of organizational culture, team dynamics, and leadership qualities needed by businesses to achieve long-term success. Advanced evaluation techniques and industry insights also allow us to identify subtle yet crucial factors that influence a candidate’s ability to thrive in their role.

Our refined recruitment process has led to improved retention rates and performance outcomes for our clients.

Read our Exclusive Insights and Thought Leadership content to find out more about the latest trends and business practices in the industry.

Our Fields of Expertise

As a premier Food and Beverage recruitment firm, our team possesses a combination of professional experience and academic qualifications that allow us to effectively match highly qualified candidates with key executive positions.

Our recruiters hold bachelor’s and advanced degrees in a range of fields, including Business Administration, Human Resources Management, Hospitality Management, Food Science, and Culinary Arts. In addition, many of our recruiters have earned professional certifications and prior working experience in the industry, which provides us valuable insights into the sector’s specific needs—which extends to food safety regulations, supply chain management, current trends and innovations, and effective talent acquisition strategies.

This experience enables us to offer executive search services to clients in a wide range of fields and sectors in the food and beverage industry. Keller specializes in finding placements for companies in the following sectors:

• Agriculture and Raw Materials
• Food Processing and Production
• Dairy Products
• Meat and Poultry
• Seafood
• Baked Goods and Bakeries
• Snack Foods
• Confectionery and Chocolates
• Organic Foods
• Frozen Foods
• Canned and Packaged Foods
• Beverages:
• Alcoholic (Wine, Beer, Spirits)
• Non-alcoholic (Soft Drinks, Juices, Coffee, Tea, Bottled Water)
• Health Foods and Supplements
• Specialty and Gourmet Foods
• Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
• Catering and Food Services
• Restaurants and Fast-food Chains
• Foodservice Equipment and Supplies
• Food Packaging and Labeling
• Food Distribution and Wholesale
• Food Retail and Supermarkets
• Food Safety and Quality Control
• Food Research and Development
• Culinary Schools and Education
• Food Marketing and Advertising
• Food Trade Shows and Exhibitions
• Viticulture and Wineries
• Craft Brewing
• Dietary and Meal Planning Services
• Food and Beverage Consulting

Positions We Fill

The food and beverage industry has one of the most significant talent shortages among all sectors. The industry’s talent gap, particularly at the executive level, is caused by a shortage of qualified candidates possessing both traditional industry knowledge and the ability to drive digital transformation. The situation is further exacerbated by an aging workforce and rapid technological advancements outpacing current skill sets.

At Keller, our headhunters can fill executive-level and senior-level roles in the food and beverage industry and close the talent gap in our client’s workforce. This is made possible by our deep insights and access to a global network of connections. Furthermore, our commitment to ethical recruitment and diversity during the search also allows us to create a large pool of candidates with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise.

Some of the positions we find placements for include (but are not limited to):

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Food & Beverage Division
• Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Food & Beverage Operations
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – Food & Beverage Finances
• Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) – Food & Beverage Branding
• Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) – Product Development
• Vice President of Manufacturing and Production
• Vice President of Supply Chain & Logistics
• Vice President of Sales & Distribution
• Vice President of Research & Development
• Director of Quality Assurance & Food Safety
• Director of Culinary Innovation
• Senior Brand Manager
• Director of Sustainability – Food & Beverage
• Head of Food & Beverage Retail Operations
• Director of Global Sourcing & Procurement
• Senior Product Development Manager
• Director of Beverage Operations
• Senior Nutrition & Health Strategy Manager
• Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance
• Director of Consumer Insights & Analytics
• Head of Culinary Training & Development
• Senior Supply Chain Strategist
• Director of Foodservice Accounts
• Vice President of E-commerce & Digital Strategy
• Senior Category Manager
• Director of Packaging & Design
• Head of International Food & Beverage Expansion
• Vice President of Franchise Development
• Senior Sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Manager
• Director of Specialty Foods & Private Label Development

Why Choose Keller as your Food and Beverage Recruitment Partner?

When you partner with Keller, you are partnering with a team of recruiters who have the experience needed to fill roles quickly and efficiently without compromising the quality of the talent.

Apart from our commitment to providing excellent workforce solutions, we are also committed to helping clients connect with leaders who will drive their businesses forward and help them navigate industry trends and challenges.

Keller’s recruitment method goes beyond filling positions. Unlike traditional approaches to headhunting, Keller’s refined executive search strategy combines in-depth market analysis and behavioral assessments to connect clients with professionals who can thrive in their environment and drive success. This is part of our dedication to deliver superior results consistently.

Apart from our recruiting strategy, we continuously invest in ensuring we stay at the forefront of developments and emerging practices in the food and beverage industry. This includes attending conferences, staying informed about evolving DEI expectations and participating in professional networks and webinars about regulatory changes and market dynamics. This insight allows us to engage top-tier talent with the skills needed in the industry as well as foster long-standing relationships with our clients through trust and collaboration.

Our Promise - The Right Hire

At Keller, we maintain utmost confidentiality and professionalism at all stages of the search. Any information provided to us by our clients will be handled with discretion. Our team also adheres to stringent ethical standards and global data protection regulations and utilizes encryption systems to ensure your data is safe.

We are dedicated to finding the perfect match for your business. As such, we offer a 90-day guarantee. If the hired executive fails to meet client expectations or leaves the post within the first three months, we will offer to redo the search at no additional cost to you.

Keller is committed to helping clients discover culinary excellence through stellar executive search services. Are you ready to hire your next food and beverage leader? Connect with one of our consultants today.