Univar has announced that John R. Donovan joined the company as executive vice president and chief growth officer. Donovan reports to John Zillmer, Univar president and chief executive officer, and is responsible for strategic growth and development of the company's global business relationships.

Donovan has spent much of his career in executive leadership roles heading sales, marketing and general management teams. Most recently, he served as president of Omakase, a growth-strategy consulting firm that he founded. Univar has worked closely with Omakase since 2010 to further enhance its sales force effectiveness and training programs.

Prior to the founding of Omakase, Donovan held various executive roles in business development and general management at Aramark and contributed to the company's unprecedented growth. Before Aramark, he worked for both Morrison's and Servomation.