For Heads of Department, Directors, Senior Managers and Executive-level supply chain, logistics, and commercial professionals
At this stage of your career, your CV isn’t just a list of jobs you’ve done – it’s your leadership case study. Here’s how to make every word count.
Senior hiring decisions aren’t just about ticking skills off a checklist – they’re about trust.
Can you lead a team? Drive transformation? Manage change? Deliver under pressure? Influence stakeholders?
At this level, your CV needs to prove leadership value – not just suggest it. It should tell a strategic story: where you’ve been, what you’ve delivered, and why you’re ready for the next big challenge.
This guide will show you how to structure your experience, so it reflects the leader you are – and the leader you’re becoming.
At senior level, hiring managers and boards are looking for:
This isn’t about showing activity - it’s about showing achievement and influence.
1. Leadership Profile / Personal Statement
This isn’t just a summary - it’s your strategic pitch. Set the tone immediately: who you are as a leader, and what you deliver at a business level.
Example 1:
Supply Chain Director with 15+ years' experience optimising end-to-end operations across FMCG and manufacturing sectors. Specialist in building high-performing teams, driving operational excellence, and delivering cost efficiencies without compromising service.
Example 2:
Procurement and Logistics Leader focused on sustainable sourcing, cost transformation, and supplier performance improvement. Adept at navigating complex global supply chains, leading multifunctional teams, and shaping commercial strategy.
2. Core Skills / Areas of Expertise
This section signals the breadth and depth of your leadership - quickly.
Examples to include:
3. Leadership Experience
This is the heart of your CV. It must highlight results, scale, and complexity.
For each role:
Example 1:
Head of Logistics – EMEA Region
£350m turnover division | Multinational FMCG | 2019–Present
Example 2:
Director of Supply Chain Operations
National Retailer | 2015–2019
4. Education & Executive Development
At leadership level, continuous development matters. It signals ambition, relevance, and adaptability.
Include:
5. Professional Memberships / Licences
Especially relevant for leadership credibility.
Listing tasks, not strategic outcomes
At this level, what you delivered matters far more than what you were responsible for.
No clear leadership narrative
Make sure we see how you grew, transformed, or stabilised - not just that you “managed operations”
Overloading jargon
Avoid acronyms without explanation, especially if applying outside pure supply chain. Make your leadership transferable.
At leadership level, tailoring isn’t about tweaking - it’s about strategic positioning.
Example 1:
If the role is about growth through operational excellence, highlight how you scaled teams, expanded networks, or delivered service improvements that enabled business growth.
E.g. “Scaled distribution capacity by 30% within 12 months to meet new market demand -without service compromise.”
Example 2:
If the focus is cost transformation, lead with major savings or efficiency programmes you drove - not just the fact you managed budgets.
E.g. “Delivered £4M in operational savings over two years through network consolidation and supplier renegotiation.”
At leadership level, the CV should reflect executive presence:
At this point in your career, your CV needs to sell the future – not just summarise the past.
It should demonstrate that you understand not only how to manage – but how to lead, influence, and deliver change. That you’re thinking about the business beyond your own team or department.
And that you’re ready for bigger impact.
