A career in FMCG sales is one of the most dynamic and rewarding journeys in FMCG. Whether you’re just starting out or planning your next move, understanding the typical progression path — and where the forks in the road are — can help you navigate it more strategically.
In this post, we’ll walk through the typical roadmap from graduate roles to Sales Director, highlighting the skills, experience, and opportunities that tend to define each stage.
1. Commercial Graduate Scheme – Building the Foundations
Many FMCG careers begin with a graduate scheme — particularly in large blue-chip organisations. These are structured programmes designed to give you exposure across different commercial functions: sales, marketing, category, trade marketing, and more.
Rotations allow graduates to experience different areas of the business, often with the opportunity to spend time on the road with field sales teams or supporting major retail accounts. This broad exposure provides a well-rounded understanding of how a business operates and gives early insight into where your strengths lie.
Key Skills Developed:
- Stakeholder management
- Commercial acumen
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Basic data analysis
Tip: Don’t underestimate the value of early exposure to store environments and shopper behaviour — it builds context that’s critical later in your career.
2. National Account Executive (NAE) – Learning the Ropes
After the graduate scheme, many move into an NAE role. This is where the practical side of customer management begins. As an NAE, you'll support a National Account Manager (NAM) on day-to-day operations — forecasting, promotional plans, reporting, and admin support.
While it might not be the most glamorous part of the journey, it’s essential. This is where you learn the inner workings of account management, how retailers operate, and how to manage timelines, priorities, and relationships.
Key Skills Developed:
- Promotional and pricing mechanics
- Forecasting and demand planning
- Excel and Nielsen/IRI literacy
- Attention to detail under pressure
Tip: Use this time to become an expert on your retailer’s needs and your brand’s commercial levers. Good NAEs become great NAMs.
3. National Account Manager (NAM) – Taking Ownership
This is often seen as the pivotal role in an FMCG sales career. As a NAM, you're responsible for a customer or portfolio of accounts. You own the P&L, lead annual negotiations, manage promotions, and are ultimately responsible for delivering volume and value growth.
The best NAMs are not just administrators — they’re strategic thinkers, strong negotiators, and relationship builders. They know their category, understand shopper behaviour, and can collaborate across marketing, supply chain, and category to drive joint value.
Key Skills Developed:
- Commercial ownership
- Customer negotiation
- Category collaboration
- Long-term planning and strategy
Tip: Be proactive. Success at NAM level isn’t just about managing the plan — it’s about adding value to your customer’s business and influencing internally.
4. Senior NAM / Channel Lead – Scaling Impact
Once you’ve delivered consistent results at NAM level, the next step is often to lead a larger piece of the business — whether that’s a major customer, a full channel (e.g. Convenience, Foodservice), or a small team of NAMs.
Titles vary, but this is the step where you begin to lead through others. You’ll be setting strategy, influencing pricing and promotional architecture, and thinking beyond the day-to-day trading to longer-term channel growth.
Key Skills Developed:
- Leadership and coaching
- Commercial strategy
- Team management
- Portfolio planning
Tip: Shift from “what I do” to “how I enable.” Your success is increasingly measured through the performance of others.
5. Sales Controller / Head of Sales – Leading the Function
At this level, you’re part of the senior commercial team. You’re responsible for a full sales channel or customer portfolio, often with a team of multiple NAMs or controllers underneath you.
This is where customer strategy, team culture, and cross-functional leadership all come together. You’ll work closely with Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and Category to align business objectives with customer needs.
Key Skills Developed:
- Organisational leadership
- Resource planning
- Executive stakeholder management
- Financial forecasting and scenario planning
Tip: Invest in your team’s development — your legacy will be built as much on who you develop as what you deliver.
6. Sales Director / Commercial Director – Owning the Agenda
The final commercial role for many in FMCG sales is the Sales or Commercial Director role. At this level, you’re responsible for the entire commercial agenda — leading the team, setting the strategy, delivering against financial targets, and representing the business externally with key customers.
This role is highly strategic and often involves reporting into the board or regional leadership team. You’ll need to navigate both short-term delivery and long-term brand building, all while ensuring your team is motivated, high-performing, and aligned.
Key Skills Developed:
- Board-level communication
- Vision setting
- Organisational design
- Cultural leadership
Tip: Stay close to the customer and the consumer. As your remit expands, it’s easy to become internally focused — but the best sales leaders never lose sight of what happens at the shelf.
7. General Manager / Managing Director – Stepping Beyond Sales
For some, the ultimate end goal is to progress into General Management — taking on full P&L responsibility across all functions: Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.
This is the ultimate test of leadership:
- Making trade-offs between brand, margin, and market share
- Setting business-wide priorities
- Managing risk, investment, and transformation
- Leading through others at scale
Many of the strongest GMs come from commercial backgrounds — particularly those who’ve demonstrated cross-functional leadership and a deep understanding of both customer and consumer.
Key Skills Developed:
- Strategic decision-making
- Business transformation
- Cross-functional influence
- Long-term vision and delivery
Tip: If GM is your goal, seek out stretch projects that expose you to other functions and markets. It’s not just about leading Sales — it’s about proving you can lead the whole business.
Alternative Routes & Lateral Moves
While this progression is common, it’s not one-size-fits-all. Many FMCG professionals take lateral moves or pivot into other functions such as:
- Category Management: A great move for those who enjoy data and shopper behaviour
- Revenue Growth Management (RGM): For commercially-minded operators who want to work cross-functionally on price, promo, and mix
- Trade & Shopper Marketing: Ideal for those who sit at the intersection of brand and customer execution
Some move between large blue-chips and high-growth scaleups, others gain international experience or switch between channels to broaden their skillset.
Final Thoughts
A career in FMCG sales offers an incredibly rich and rewarding journey. It’s commercial, fast-paced, and constantly evolving — but progression doesn’t happen by accident.
Whether you're a Commercial Graduate looking for your first step, or a NAM considering your next move, the most successful careers are built on a blend of performance, proactivity, and the right opportunities at the right time.
If you're planning your next move or hiring someone to take the next step in your team — we're here to help.
Let’s talk.
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