Univar Solutions Joins More than 1,000 CEOs in Unprecedented Commitment to Advance Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, announced today that it has joined a growing coalition of leaders pledging to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As one of more than 1,000 CEOs, president and CEO David Jukes is committing himself and Univar Solutions to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace through the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ (CEO Action) coalition. As a signatory of CEO Action, Univar Solutions is pledging to take action and foster a safe, collaborative, supporting, and respectful environment that values diverse perspectives, mitigates unconscious bias and enables a culture where employees are able to bring their authentic self to work. With more than 1,000 signatories having already shared more than 1,000 best known actions, these exchanges have produced tangible learning opportunities and created collaborative conversations via the initiative's unified hub, CEOAction.com.

"As responsible business leaders, we need to do all we can to foster an inclusive environment and make sure discrimination, for any reason, is removed from the workplace," said Jukes. "I'm personally committed to using whatever influence I have to reinforce the importance of encouraging others to simply be who they are and bring their full self to the workplace."

Organizations joining the pledge are taking a step towards effecting positive change. A diverse and inclusive workforce facilitates community, but also drives innovation and creativity. CEO Action is cultivating a new type of ecosystem centered on collaboration and sharing. The actions, available via CEOAction.com, showcase real-life examples of the open and transparent conversations to cultivate more diverse and inclusive workplace environments. The addition of new signatories expands the impact of this work beyond the office to communities and industries.

As a leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution, Univar Solutions is committed to tackling this critical societal issue, as the Company works with others to cultivate more diverse and inclusive workplaces in the industry.

CEO Action is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble, and PwC. The coalition represents 85 industries, all 50 US States, and millions of employees globally. To learn more about the pledge, visit CEOAction.com, which serves as a hub for information sharing, idea generation, and program development. With more than 1,000 best known actions shared, companies can use it as an opportunity to learn from others that are already doing so. Learning from, and sharing, actions help drive greater engagement within programs, as well as mentoring others on their journey.

About Univar Solutions

Univar Solutions (NYSE: UNVR) is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and North American sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, world-class formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools the company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and grow together. Learn more at UnivarSolutions.com.

About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™

CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 1,000 CEOs of America's leading organizations, the commitment outlines actions that participating companies pledge to take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with us on Twitter: @CEOAction.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations, and predictions for the future, which are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and assumptions. A detailed discussion of these factors and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: the ultimate geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and our customers and suppliers; the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; other fluctuations in general economic conditions, particularly in industrial production and the demands of our customers; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of our customers; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; our levels of indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by our debt instruments, and our ability to obtain additional financing when needed; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies we acquire, including of Nexeo Solutions, Inc., or to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; potential business disruptions and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; increases in transportation and fuel costs and changes in our relationship with third party providers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, product quality and liability issues and recalls; major or systemic delivery failures involving our distribution network or the products we carry; operational risks for which we may not be adequately insured; ongoing litigation and other legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; potential impairment of goodwill; liabilities associated with acquisitions, ventures and strategic investments; negative developments affecting our pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of our workforce; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek, "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Univar Solutions Inc.