Lawrence Smith

Larry has spent ~40 years in procurement roles with leading FMCG manufacturers, including the last decade at Mars Inc., where he served as Strategic Sourcing Director, leading global procurement for creative, design, and production agencies. He partnered with CMOs and senior marketing leaders to optimize agency relationships, implement global digital asset management, and drive efficiency initiatives that delivered significant cost savings and operational improvements.

Prior to that, Larry was Senior Manager of Global Media for Wrigley and Mars, overseeing a $1.8 billion media strategy and managing multi-country agency integrations. His initiatives included restructuring agency agreements, implementing innovative digital models, and negotiating contracts that achieved over $150 million in savings. He also held marketing procurement leadership roles at BP Products, WellPoint, Sara Lee, and Kraft Foods, where he standardized processes, optimized supplier relationships, and delivered measurable efficiency gains.

Earlier in his career, Larry held leadership positions at Warner-Lambert, Reckitt & Colman, The Body Shop, Philips Lighting, McMaster-Carr, and Rexroth Corporation, managing multi-million-dollar budgets, supply chains, and marketing services. Across all roles, he consistently transformed complex procurement and marketing operations into streamlined, strategically aligned value chains.