Sectors we cover

It's been a dramatic turn of events for retail and wholesale. The pandemic fast-tracked the shift to eCommerce, and retail-to-warehouse conversions are on the rise.

As a result, we've seen a huge digital transformation - not just in eCommerce investments, but in contactless and store technology upgrades too. With the cost of customer acquisition now higher, the retail sector must create a digital omnichannel experience. Core to this will be winning the last mile, fortifying all links in the supply chain, and customer-based decision making.

The USA takes second place as the largest global eCommerce market - behind only China. By 2025, it's expected to make up more than 25% of all retail sales in America. At present, fashion leads eCommerce sales - though electronics and media aren't far behind.

A thriving future lies ahead - but for this to come to fruition, senior eCommerce talent needs to be more that just tech savvy. They must be able to manage and streamline processes, and have a forward-thinking, analytics mind.

Manufacturing is the biggest driver of innovation across the whole of the US. With an estimated 4.6 million manufacturing jobs needed by 2030, the sector is clearly facing a skills shortage, as well as demands to be more sustainable.

Digital investment is supporting its eco-friendly drive, with technology also enabling the industry to be more resilient and flexible. The focus on leaders is to rebuild lost revenue streams, fine-tune supply networks, and problem solve successfully.

Engineering has great value to the US economy - almost $250bn, to be exact. The sector is bouncing back from the pandemic, and by 2030, there should be an additional 140,000 jobs. Yet this is thwarted by the skills gap, and the fact that while the engineering sector accelerates its technology, the present labor force struggles to keep aligned with the pace of change.

Leaders will need to adapt to the times - dealing with emerging technologies, the requirement for cleaner energy, and management in a dynamic environment.

With a 4.75% boost in revenue during the pandemic, and an anticipation to reach $1.254 trillion by 2025, logistics is on the up. Unlike most markets, it experienced substantial success during 2020 and 2021, with technological and eCommerce integration proving key.

The 'want it now' philosophy means the sector must innovate to deliver goods even quicker. This requires logistics experts with excellent management, customer service and IT skills.

The transport sector employs over 13.3 million Americans, totaling 9.1%. Foreign direct investment is vital, and in 2018, was at $1.5bn collectively. Having said that the industry contributes 29% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions - an issue that needs addressing.

To deal with such challenges, transport talent must have strong problem-solving and technical skills.

With and upcoming market of more than 140 million people for food and drink in the US, the sector definitely has its work cut out. It achieves $900,000 in revenue each year. Though, it also has its challenges.

From the decline of food experts owing to US food processing standards, to the rise of plant-based products, the drive to reduce food waste, and the push for online selling - at the helm should be leaders who can successfully manage time and adopt a hollistic approach.

The US is the largest FMCG sector worldwide, and makes up 6% of the nation's GDP. But with customer demands continuously changing, the industry must stay ahead of the game on spending habits, products wanted and the positioning of brands and ranges.

Companies need to seize technology disruption with both hands, and look at how they can innovate and scale to better their supply chain resilience. At the heart of this are leaders who can grab the fire hydrant and take action.

Chemical is one of the nation's biggest, and top exporting, manufacturing sectors. The US is a world leader in chemical production and exports, making 18% of chemical shipments on a global level. It also employs more than 800,000 people.

But it does have sustainability issues, and faces particular pressure to decarbonize and reduce plastic waste. That's why leaders need to work to solve this, and maximize on the benefits of digital transformation.

The pharmaceutical sector has seen fantastic success in the US, in part due to its supportive environment which includes and intellectual property systems that rewards innovation. What's more, US firms perform over half of the world's total pharmaceutical R&D.

Highly skilled and educated specialists are needed in this sector, especially those who can effectively strategize and build strong relationships.

The USA aerospace and defense sector directly employs close to 2 billion people, which accounts for 1.4% of all employment across the nation. As the largest aerospace sector in the world, it's no surpise that foreign direct investment totals over $20bn.

While the pandemic evidently had an impact on aerospace, it's coming back better than ever - though it needs people who can successfully work in an innovative, fast-paced, competitive environment.

At the heart of the US is the automotive sector. Employing over 4 million people, it's one of the largest globally, with countless foreign-owned automakers conducting their R&D, design and testing here. Plus, total foreign direct investment sits at more than $110bn.

Contributing 3% to America's GDP, it's clear that automotive is here to stay. But it needs leaders who can deal with moves in consumer demands, regulatory changes and technology disruption.