Jake E. Riley

Driving Results with Quantifiable Impact

Jake E. Riley Class of 2020 BEQ Pride LGBTQ+ Leader Under 40

(He, Him) is 28

By 2030, social stigmas in the workplace will have been eradicated as a result of the business community’s steadfast commitment to increased training and awareness – enabling every LGBT+ employee to bring their authentic self to work each day.

Jake Riley is an award-winning director of corporate operations at Univar Solutions.  At the core, Jake’s passion has been focused on helping individuals, teams, and organizations become more productive and efficient to drive results with quantifiable impact. 

Jake says he “finds nothing more satisfying than helping people and organizations reach their highest performance potential.”  From leading corporate transformation and integration initiatives to setting new standards for diversity and inclusion benchmarks to joining a political action committee, Jake has worn many hats that have undoubtedly helped him become a results-driven leader.   

Jake’s proven track record of optimizing commercial organizations, leading cross-functional initiatives and untangling complex challenges in today’s dynamic business environment are accomplishments he is proud of, but he finds his most proud of his impact as an out LGBT leader in his industry.  In 2019, he was able to launch Univar Solution’s first LGBT+ Network. With more than 10,000 employees and executive support, this was a major step towards ensuring a more diverse and inclusive work environment. This effort was the catalyst for other Univar Solutions ERG platforms.

His passion for community extends beyond the workplace to political and social action. Jake is a proud member of the Houston chapter of the Victory Fund and a host committee member as well as captain of the international committee for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. 

Jake holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Agribusiness & Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business.