Pros
High level of ownership and impact - Direct responsibility for a large portfolio and a full P&L allows you to influence financial performance in meaningful ways. - Opportunities to build strategies that directly affect revenue, margins and market share. Strong relationship-building experience - Working with diverse supplier partners deepens your expertise in negotiation, collaboration, conflict resolution and expectation management. Enhanced strategic thinking - Balancing customer needs, supplier objectives, and internal financial goals develops strong strategic planning and analytical capabilities. - Helps shape a "big picture" mindset about brand performance in a competitive market. Fast skill development - Managing 100+ suppliers accelerates your ability to multitask, prioritize, and solve problems quickly. - Exposure to pricing, forecasting, logistics, sales, and marketing sharpens cross-functional skills rapidly.
Cons
Frequent conflicts in priorities - Suppliers, customers, and internal stakeholders may have competing needs. - Balancing financial targets with service expectations can create pressure and occasional friction. Limited time for deep strategic work - Fast pace and high volume of tasks can force you into reactive mode rather than long-term planning. - Administrative or urgent requests can dominate your day. Supplier relationship challenges - With 100+ suppliers, not all relationships can receive the same level of attention. - High expectations from supplies for visibility, performance, and reporting can be difficult to meet consistently. High workload and stress - Managing over 100 suppliers can be overwhelming and requires near-constant prioritization. - Expectations for quick turnaround can lead to long hours and burnout.