Former Mars marketing exec to McCormick

SPARKS, Md. — McCormick has appointed Lawrence Kurzius as the company’s president, global consumer and chief administrative officer.

In this role, Kurzius will be charged with McCormick's consumer business globally as well as several of the company's corporate functions, including IT, supply chain, R&D and quality assurance. Kurzius will also chair the Global Consumer Strategy Council in his new role.

Kurzius, who is currently president of McCormick International, joined the company in 2003 with the acquisition of Zatarain's, where he was president and CEO. He has also served as president of the US consumer products business, and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Zatarain's, Kurzius was a marketing executive with the Quaker Oats Company and Mars Inc.'s Uncle Ben's Company.

Kurzius graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in economics. He is a trustee of Jacksonville University and a director of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs. He is a former director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's New Orleans Branch.