McCormick Announces Organizational Changes
Six executive positions will report to Mr. Lawless. This staffing effectively eliminates the need for a separate Chief Operating Officer. The positions are as follows:
- President, Global Industrial Group - Robert G. Davey
- Group Vice President & Managing Director, Europe and Asia - John C. Molan
- Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer - Francis A. Contino
- Vice President & General Manager, McCormick/Schilling Division - Robert W. Schroeder
- Executive Vice President, Corporate - Carroll D. Nordhoff
- Vice President, Corporate Strategy - to be named
Mr. Davey, currently Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, will become President of the Global Industrial Group. He will create a seamless worldwide organization to maximize the Company's relationships with current multinational customers and emerging areas for growth. Reporting to him will be the McCormick Flavor Division (U.S.), Frito-Lay Division, McCormick Pesa (Mexico), McCormick U.K. Industrial Group, Stange K.K. (Japan), and McCormick Ingredients Southeast Asia. The Food Service Group, McCormick Canada, Inc., and the Packaging Group will also report to him.
McCormick's consumer and food service businesses for Europe and Asia are being combined to form one group, which will report to John Molan, currently Group Vice President & Managing Director - Europe. Mr. Molan will bring his long and distinguished consumer marketing and general management skills to the consumer businesses of Japan (McCormick Lion), the Philippines and China. Additionally, all parts of the Company's Australian business -- consumer, food service and industrial -- will report to him.
Succeeding Mr. Davey as Chief Financial Officer will be Fran Contino, who has also been elected to the Company's Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Contino was Managing Partner of the Baltimore office of Ernst & Young, the Company's audit firm and one of the largest in the world. He brings 30 years of financial experience and an excellent working knowledge of McCormick systems, objectives and culture. The Controllership, Treasury, MIS, Acquisitions & Financial Planning, and Activity-Based Costing will report to him.
Maintaining the return to profitable growth within the U. S. Consumer business will be one of the most critical elements of the Company's future. This initiative will continue to be led by Bob Schroeder, Vice President & General Manager - McCormick/Schilling Division.
Executive Vice President Carroll Nordhoff will continue to provide direction to the non-financial Corporate Officers and their staffs, as well as the Company's Mexican joint venture. Reporting to him are Corporate Legal, Research & Development, Quality Assurance, Communications, Human Relations, Regulatory & Environmental Affairs, Operations Resources and McCormick de Mexico.
Mr. Nordhoff will transition responsibility for Central America, South America and Global Export Development to a new position, Vice President - Corporate Strategy, which is being created to provide expertise and focus for the ongoing development of a comprehensive corporate growth strategy. This position will work in partnership with the Executive Committee, group executives, and corporate staff to define further the integrated company strategies. It will be filled during the coming months.
Commented Mr. Lawless, "Such a comprehensive change to the top executive group will require an orderly transition plan. We expect, with the cooperation of all concerned, to have these assignments staffed and the transition completed by year end. This new organization provides the structure to meet several critical strategic objectives: an industrial structure aligned with our global customers, a streamlined consumer structure which allows us to grow our brand, an integrated growth strategy, and better utilization of the corporate functions worldwide. These changes should provide additional momentum for McCormick, and I am excited about our future."
McCormick is the international producer of spices, seasonings, flavorings, and specialty foods.
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