John J. Zillmer to Retire from Univar

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Executive Chairman John J. Zillmer announced today that he will retire from the company effective December 28. William S. Stavropoulos will assume the role of Chairman of the Board.

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"In John's role as executive chairman and during his tenure as president and CEO, Univar experienced tremendous growth with outstanding leadership, including many successful acquisitions and initiatives that added new capabilities and increased Univar's global scale," said William S. Stavropoulos.

"Univar's growth and leadership succession have always been top priorities for me and the transition of leadership to Erik Fyrwald is complete," said John J. Zillmer. "I have the utmost confidence in Erik, his leadership team, and the company's strategy going forward."

Zillmer will continue to serve on the boards of Reynolds American Inc. and Ecolab Inc. He will devote additional time and energy to his family's philanthropic endeavors, the John and Carol Zillmer Foundation, dedicated to the health and welfare of under-served children around the world. 

About Univar

Univar is a global leader in the distribution of chemistry and related services. Univar represents over 3,500 chemical producers and provides its customer base, made up of 115,000 customers, with a full portfolio of products. Univar operates a global network of more than 260 facilities in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America, with additional sales offices located in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2011, Univar reported sales of $9.7 billion. For more information, visit: www.univar.com.

SOURCE Univar