No Transparency, Lack of Leadership, and Miserable Working Environment - If you're on the job hunt, KEEP LOOKING - Product Specialist Univar Solutions Employee Review

1.0
12 June 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Salary was above the industry average. HQ building in the Woodlands is located in a great, walkable location.

Cons

I was recruited by a third-party recruitment firm during the Nexeo Solutions days who promoted the company as a similar work environment as the industry giants of the world - Apple, Yahoo, ExxonMobil, etc. I was told Nexeo is a "work hard, play hard" company; "as long as you get your work done, they aren't a punch-the-clock type of company". This was the exact opposite of what working at Nexeo was like. I was skeptical of all the negative reviews about the company, but later found out that they are entirely accurate. The position I held at Nexeo was something more suited for a college intern, not someone with a Graduate degree and 4 years of industry experience. It was designed to be a desk jockey and sift through lines and lines of data on excel and create PowerPoints for my manager. My "Manager" lacked basic leadership skills such as: relating to employees, being able to coach/guide you through problems, and being able to give truthful feedback. It was clearly her first time managing an employee which was a bit upsetting as I was her trial run after uprooting myself from a successful position in a previous company. She was allowed to take 2 hour lunches while it was expected of me to stay drilled to my desk 8-5. My "on-boarding" consisted of sitting in her office for multiple 4 hour PowerPoint presentations which seemed extremely elementary given that I had come from a fast-paced work environment at a previous company. Her and her manager were entirely too rigid and micromanaged basic tasks. One morning, I expressed my dissatisfaction with how things were going. She replied that she " didn't know what to do" about it (great leadership) and she would have to get with her manager to figure things out. Two days later we all sat in a meeting where we discussed everything. I was hoping we could come to some kind of middle ground, but I was forced to quit or be fired. Her exact words were "I'm sure you want this to look like a resignation". She spoke about all the issues that she had with me (despite the near-perfect marks I had on my quarterly employee review) - hence the lack of transparency. In summary: extremely rigid work culture, very much a "get in line and wait your turn" place to work, not open to new ideas, lack fundamental leadership skills, and very much a hire and fire company. The attrition rate is sky high for a reason.

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Univar Solutions Response
6y
Thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns and make us aware of your experience. We are very sorry to hear that your experience was not a positive one and did not reflect our core values. We take feedback very seriously and are committed to addressing concerns from employees to ensure we are building a culture that encourages transparency and open lines of communication. We believe that our people are our greatest asset and we strive to provide a collaborative environment that provides support and opportunities for our employees to grow.

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5.0
3 Feb 2026
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Pros

I enjoyed the job very stable and friendly people

Cons

A little outdated tech systems but doable

2.0
26 Mar 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Exposure to large, high-value accounts and complex operational challenges. The role builds resilience quickly and provides strong experience in account management, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. There is a high level of ownership in day-to-day responsibilities, which can accelerate skill development for those who are self-driven.

Cons

Since the acquisition by Apollo, the work environment has noticeably declined. While new processes were introduced, leadership often did not take the time to fully understand or follow them, creating confusion and inconsistency across teams. Employees who raised questions or tried to improve processes were not always received positively, which discouraged feedback and innovation. There is also a lack of alignment between departments, leading to inefficiencies, miscommunication, and added pressure on employees managing critical accounts. Workloads are frequently excessive without adequate support, contributing to burnout and turnover. Compensation does not consistently reflect the level of responsibility and workload expected, which further impacts morale and retention. Overall, the organization feels reactive rather than structured, and direction has become increasingly unclear.

2
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