Recruiting the modern Category Manager: What companies need to know in 2025
In a market shaped by digitalization, data explosion, and shifting consumer behaviors, the Category Manager has become one of the most pivotal, yet misunderstood, roles in the FMCG and retail ecosystem.
But as the business landscape evolves, so does the job. To attract and retain the right talent, companies must understand how the Category Manager’s role has transformed, from assortment expert to strategic growth driver.
From assortment planner to business strategist
A decade ago, the Category Manager’s mission was straightforward: manage product assortments, optimize shelf space, and analyze market data from Nielsen or GfK.
Today, that description barely scratches the surface. The modern CatMan is a strategic orchestrator, balancing data, customer insights, and business objectives to create value for both retailers and suppliers. They no longer just react to trends; they help shape them, influencing pricing, innovation, sustainability, and omnichannel strategies.
“The Category Manager of today is not just optimizing shelves, they are designing growth.”
Yet, many organizations still define the role too narrowly, overlooking its strategic potential and limiting its appeal to ambitious talent.
The Belgian market: new dynamics, new expectations
In Belgium, where retailers and suppliers operate in a highly consolidated and competitive environment, the Category Manager’s reality is increasingly complex.
The rise of data-driven decision-making, e-commerce, and centralized marketing structures has reshaped how the function operates. Today’s Category Managers must navigate:
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- The balance between international strategies and local market realities,
- Cross-functional collaboration between sales, marketing, finance, and supply chain,
- The need to transform data into clear, actionable insights that drive revenue growth.
New titles like Revenue Growth Management or Commercial Excellence are emerging, absorbing parts of the traditional CatMan scope, but the essence of the role remains: connecting consumer needs, brand strategies, and retail execution.
What to look for when recruiting a Category Manager
Finding a high-performing Category Manager means looking beyond analytical skills. The best profiles combine strategic thinking, business acumen, and strong interpersonal influence. Key competencies to prioritize include:
🧠 Analytical mastery: ability to extract insights from complex datasets (Nielsen, IRI, loyalty, e-commerce).
🎯 Strategic vision: understanding category dynamics and aligning them with brand and customer growth.
🤝 Influence & collaboration: building partnerships across departments and with external stakeholders.
💡 Entrepreneurial mindset: running the category like a “mini-business,” with accountability and ownership.
⚡ Agility: adapting to fast-changing markets and embracing innovation and sustainability challenges.
👉 In short: today’s Category Manager must combine data-driven intelligence with strategic creativity.
What companies should be careful about
Attracting top Category Managers isn’t only about offering a competitive package. Experienced professionals emphasized what truly drives engagement:
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- Autonomy and recognition: the freedom to build their category vision and see its impact.
- Strategic involvement: being part of the decision-making process, not just executing it.
- Career perspective: opportunities to grow within commercial, marketing, or RGM functions.
- Company mindset: working for organizations that value cross-functional collaboration and sustainability.
Companies that position the CatMan role as purely operational risk losing out on the new generation of data-driven, business-minded professionals.
The future of Category Management
The future of Category Management is all about turning data into strategy and insight into growth. As the function evolves, it’s becoming one of the most exciting and strategic roles in FMCG and retail. Here’s what’s ahead:
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- From analyst to strategist: Tomorrow’s CatMan will go beyond reporting — translating complex data into actionable growth strategies that connect brands, retailers, and consumers.
- A bridge between global and local: In an increasingly consolidated market, Category Managers will act as architects of partnerships, balancing international direction with local market realities.
- The rise of new roles: Titles like Revenue Growth Manager or Commercial Excellence Lead are emerging, reflecting how Category Management is expanding toward profitability, innovation, and sustainability.
- An entrepreneurial career path: Managing a category will feel like running a mini-business — combining strategy, sales, finance, and marketing with real ownership and impact.
- A launchpad for future leaders: For young talents, it’s one of the best ways to build a 360° commercial skill set and step into strategic leadership roles.
In short, the Category Manager of tomorrow won’t just follow the data, they’ll lead with it, shaping smarter, more sustainable growth for both brands and retailers.
Go further: The Category Manager perspective
As the role of Category Manager becomes increasingly strategic, companies must rethink how they attract and engage these key profiles. Beyond analytical skills, what truly matters is autonomy, recognition, and a clear sense of impact.
At Generations Recruitment, we help FMCG and retail players find Category Managers who turn insights into strategy — and data into growth.
👉 Want to hear the Category Managers’ side of the story?
Read our related article: The evolving role of the Category Manager: from analyst to Strategic Partner.
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