Univar Inc., a global chemical distributor and provider of value-added services named Eric Foster as chief information officer and Nick Powell as president, EMEA & APAC.
Foster succeeds Erik Viens and Powell succeeds Christopher Oversby, both of whom are retiring upon completing successful transitions with their respective successors.
“Eric’s (Foster) knowledge and experience will be great assets to our team as we look to enhance our customer experience and lower our transaction costs,” said Stephen Newlin, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Univar. “Nick, an industry veteran, has a strong track record of growth over the span of his career, which provides him the foundation needed to continue the development of our EMEA segment.”
Foster most recently served as chief information officer and senior vice president of Baxalta Inc., the $6 billion global bio-pharmaceutical spin off from Baxter International. There he led efforts to accelerate the adoption of cloud-based computing, mobile applications and digital platforms that enabled business growth and created competitive advantage through scalable technology solutions, improved analytics and digital products. Prior to that, he held several executive level IT roles with Baxter International and GE Capital/Heller Financial and served as chief technology officer for Publicis Groupe. Foster started his career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) delivering advanced technology solutions to clients across an array of industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois.
Powell joined Univar in 2009. He currently serves as vice president of Focused Industries for Univar’s EMEA segment and had an active role in the design of our current growth plan for the region. He also oversees the company’s APAC operations, which he will maintain. Prior to Univar, Powell was general manager with Fosroc, a major construction chemicals company, and held a number of leadership roles at GE Water & Process Technology (formerly BetzDearborn). He holds a degree in chemistry from the University of the West of England.
“My sincere appreciation to Erik Viens and Chris Oversby for their service to Univar,” added Newlin. “I wish them much health and happiness as they begin the next chapter of their lives.”
Source: Univar Inc.
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