SPARKS, MD. — Lawrence E. Kurzius has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of McCormick & Co., Inc., effective Feb. 1, 2016. He will succeed Alan D. Wilson, who will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board.
Mr. Kurzius has been a key leader for McCormick for the past 12 years and has been a member of the Management Committee since 2007. Prior to joining McCormick, he was the c.e.o. for Zatarain’s, where he worked for more than 12 years until the company was purchased by McCormick. He also held marketing positions with Uncle Ben’s, a division of Mars Inc. and the Quaker Oats Co.
Mr. Wilson has been chairman, president and c.e.o. for more than eight years, and has helped grow McCormick’s worldwide business to more than $4.2 billion in annual sales. In January, Mr. Wilson transitioned responsibility for the company’s global operations to Mr. Kurzius who was president and chief operating officer prior to his promotion to president and c.e.o.
Mr. Wilson and Mr. Kurzius have had a successful partnership working closely together on major initiatives at McCormick, the company said.
“I am extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish at McCormick,” Mr. Wilson said. “Our management team is comprised of the best talent in the industry. We’ve been able to deliver consistent results for our investors and over 10,000 employees around the world and I look forward to continuing to work with them in my new role. I am particularly excited about my successor Lawrence Kurzius. He has a proven track record of delivering results and he understands and values the importance of continuing to grow the company while ensuring that McCormick remains a great place to work.”
