James B. Holcomb has been appointed president of North America Chemical Distribution for global chemical distributor Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR). In this role, Holcomb will be responsible for Univar’s chemical distribution businesses in the U.S.A. and Canada.  

Holcomb joins Univar Solutions after having been previously employed by Brenntag, where he held the role of chief operating officer for Brenntag North America.

His first priority will be growing sales in North America in relation to non-specialty products and optimizing the effectiveness of its North American salesforce.  His work will be complemented by Univar’s overall focus on providing an effortless customer experience supported by digitized systems and streamlined processes.  In this role, Holcomb joins Jennifer McIntyre, SVP, chief streamline officer and head of North American Operations, and Nick Powell, SVP, president, Specialty Chemicals & Ingredients, to round out the leadership structure for North America.

Holcomb brings more than 25 years of industry experience leading critical growth projects and adding significant value through in-depth business acumen and commercial discipline practices. He is an accomplished chemical distribution thought leader with an astute focus on driving results and a proven track record of success.

“I’m excited to welcome Jim to the Univar Solutions team,” said David Jukes, president and chief executive officer. “His experience in the chemical distribution market in North America is unparalleled and he will be a major contributor to our S22 program designed to accelerate growth and increase earnings through a customer centric focus on operational efficiency and Omni-channel sales growth.”

Holcomb received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Memphis as well as completed the International Management Course at Ashridge University in the U.K.

For more information, visit UnivarSolutions.com.