McCormick’s board of directors has announced the promotion of Brendan Foley to president and chief executive officer, effective September 1. Foley also was elected to the board of directors, effective immediately. Current Chairman and CEO Lawrence E. Kurzius will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board.
Foley has been a key leader for McCormick for over nine years, serving as president, U.S. consumer; president, North America; president global consumer, Americas and Asia; and president and COO. Before joining McCormick, he was with H.J. Heinz for 15 years, holding marketing and general management roles, including president for the North America Zone.
Kurzius has served as chairman and CEO of McCormick for more than seven years. In June 2022, he transitioned the president title and responsibilities for the company’s global operations to Foley.
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“I’d like to personally thank Lawrence for his mentorship and continued service to McCormick,” says Foley. “I am truly honored and excited about the opportunity to lead this great company with its rich and very promising future. Ensuring McCormick remains a great place to work and grow for our employees and maintaining our performance continuity are top priorities.”
“Lawrence has been a transformational leader for McCormick,” states Michael D. Mangan, lead director for the McCormick board. “During his tenure as CEO sales grew over 50% and market capitalization more than doubled. Lawrence is widely credited with driving a period of tremendous growth, performance, and expansion—including top tier organic sales growth and the acquisitions of iconic brands like Frank’s RedHot, French’s, and Cholula—in addition to embedding purpose-led performance into McCormick’s culture by championing the company’s industry-leading sustainability efforts and successfully leading McCormick through the unprecedented global pandemic.”
