Empowering Innovation: Appointing a Regional R&D Leader in FMCG

The Client

A global leader in consumer goods, the company is renowned for its commitment to innovation and advancing technologies that meet evolving consumer needs. With a mission to enhance quality of life worldwide, the company continuously develops products that are effective, accessible, and tailored to local and global markets.

The Challenge

This confidential global mandate involved identifying a successor to an expatriate leader for the role of Director R&D, responsible for leading a major regional technology function. The role held strategic significance, with influence extending across Europe, Africa/Eurasia, and India.

The position required oversight of end-to-end R&D across oral, home, and personal care categories – including innovation strategy, technology transfer, and product testing. The ideal candidate needed more than 20 years of experience and a proven track record in sustainable innovation, global and regional team leadership, cost-effective execution, and talent development. 

The Solution

Boyden partnered closely with the client to align expectations and broaden the search for global talent, while ensuring cultural fit and sector relevance. The search strategy prioritized candidates from top-tier FMCG multinationals, with a strong emphasis on gender diversity – targeting at least 50% of the candidate pool.

To ensure sectoral precision, candidates from outside the FMCG space were deprioritized. We mapped globally based Indian talent in key hubs including Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, and Western markets. Early alignment on compensation expectations enabled transparent and effective candidate conversations. Throughout the process, Boyden maintained consistent communication to build trust and create a collaborative hiring experience. 

The Result

Boyden successfully placed a high-impact leader who fully met and exceeded the mandate’s expectations. With over two decades of R&D leadership experience at leading multinational consumer goods companies, the selected candidate brought deep expertise in innovation, project execution, and consumer-centric product development across the APAC region.

Her ability to collaborate seamlessly with marketing teams and suppliers enabled a smooth and accelerated transition. The handover from the outgoing expat was effective, and the appointment reinforced the client’s commitment to gender diversity, innovation, and excellence in leadership.