McCormick unveils executive team, operating structure for proposed US$44.8B Unilever foods merger
McCormick has outlined its post-merger leadership, business divisions and London listing plans as it advances its proposed acquisition of Unilever’s Foods business.
USA – McCormick has announced the planned operating structure, executive leadership team and secondary listing location for its proposed US$44.8 billion acquisition of Unilever’s Foods business.
This marks another milestone as the companies progress towards completing the transaction by mid-2027, subject to regulatory approvals.
The announcement follows Unilever’s confirmation in March that it had received an offer from McCormick. Later that month, both companies agreed to the deal, which is expected to create a combined business generating approximately US$20 billion in annual revenue.
The transaction is currently under review by regulators, with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority recently launching an initial assessment.
Following completion, the combined company will operate through four commercial divisions: Americas Consumer, International Consumer, Global Food Service and Global Flavor.
The Americas Consumer division, covering North, Central and South America, would have generated approximately US$8 billion in 2025 sales, while International Consumer, spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, would have recorded around US$7 billion.
Global Food Service is expected to contribute approximately US$4 billion in annual revenue by combining Unilever Foods’ chef-focused capabilities with McCormick’s branded front-of-house portfolio.
Meanwhile, the Global Flavor division, with estimated annual sales of US$2.5 billion, will supply customised flavours, seasonings, condiments and coatings to food, beverage, consumer health companies and restaurant chains.
McCormick said the new structure is designed to improve coordination across markets, strengthen product development and accelerate innovation.
Brendan Foley, chairman, president and chief executive officer of McCormick, said: “First and foremost, I want to thank the dedicated integration planning teams for their diligent work. Our significant progress to date is a testament to McCormick’s unique track record and learnings from past integrations, the deep expertise from both organisations, and our collective focus on creating a differentiated global flavour leader.”
Foley will continue leading the combined business, while Marcos Gabriel will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The company has appointed Andrew Foust to lead Americas Consumer, Heiko Schipper to head International Consumer, Nuria Hernandez to oversee Global Food Service and Suzanne Roy to lead Global Flavor.
McCormick said its Integration Management Office will remain in place after completion, overseeing integration activities, transitional service agreements expected to last up to 24 months, synergy delivery and the development of a unified corporate culture.
The company expects to provide additional details on revenue and cost synergies before the end of the third quarter.
Alongside the new operating structure, McCormick also confirmed plans to pursue a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange once the transaction closes, while maintaining its primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
Hunt Valley will remain the company’s global headquarters, with a significant operational presence continuing in the Netherlands, including Unilever Foods’ existing research and development capabilities.
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