FDBusiness.com

REDMOND, Wash. and BRUSSELS, Belgium – 24 January 2011 – Univar Inc., a leading global chemical distributor, announced today that David Jukes has been promoted to President of Univar Europe. He replaces John van Osch who is leaving the company to pursue new opportunities.

Mr. Jukes has spent much of his career in global distribution, living and working in Australia, the United States, the Netherlands, and in his native United Kingdom. Most recently, he served as Univar’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and has been instrumental in implementing the company’s pan-European strategy.

“David has tremendous international distribution experience and has demonstrated strong leadership during his time at Univar,” said John Zillmer, President and CEO of Univar. “Our European business is expanding rapidly, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. David’s global operating experience and entrepreneurial background are important strengths as we continue to integrate our existing operations and build capabilities in new markets.”

“I would also like to thank John van Osch for his service to Univar,” added Mr. Zillmer. “During his tenure, he drove our pan-European strategy of integrating our operations across 25 countries and establishing a Univar presence in the Middle East and Africa.”

“We will continue to optimize our operations and expand into to new markets to better serve our global customers and suppliers,” said Mr. Jukes. “Our recent acquisitions of Quaron and BCS and the pending acquisition of Eral-Protek demonstrate our commitment to growth, and I am very excited about the opportunity ahead for Univar.”

Mr. Jukes joined Univar in 2002 as Chief Executive of Distrupol, which he was instrumental in establishing. He has also served as Regional Director of Univar UK, Ireland and the Nordics, and most recently as Vice President, Sales and Marketing EMEA. Prior to joining Univar, Mr. Jukes was Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and Industry Relations for Omnexus, a plastics industry consortium e-commerce platform based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Earlier in his career, he was Vice President of Corporate Development for the polymers division at Ellis & Everard, prior to its acquisition by Univar. Mr. Jukes is a graduate of London Business School.

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About Univar

Univar is one of the world’s leading distributors of industrial and specialty chemicals. Univar represents over 2,500 chemical producers and provides its customer base, made up of 80,000 customers, with a full portfolio of products. Univar operates a network of 179 distribution facilities throughout North America, Europe, and China. In 2009, Univar reported sales of $7.2 billion. For more information, visit: www.univar.com.

Operating from 56 distribution centres in 25 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Univar Europe’s 2,200 local employees serve more than 28,900 customers in a diverse range of industries including coatings, food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and other major sectors. To learn more about Univar Europe, Middle East and Africa, please visit: www.univareurope.com. 

For further information, please contact:

John Ederer
Vice President, Global Communications & Investor Relations
Univar Inc.
T +1 (425) 889-3601
M +1 (425) 894-5873
john.ederer@univarcorp.com

Catherine Lennon
Director – Communications, Europe, Middle East & Africa
Univar Europe
T +32 (0) 2 525 05 63
F +32 (0) 2 520 17 51
M +32 (0) 478 251 588
catherine.lennon@univareurope.com