Univar has appointed John Zillmer as president and CEO. Gary Pruitt, non-executive chairman of the board, announced his plans to retire as Univar's chief executive last April. Zillmer joins Univar after serving as chairman and CEO of Allied Waste Industries, Inc. from 2005 until it merged with Republic Services in December 2008. A Fortune 500 company and publicly traded on the NYSE, Allied was the second largest non-hazardous solid waste company in the U.S. with 2008 sales in excess of $6.5 billion.