# John Zillmer

> John J. Zillmer is Aramark’s chief executive officer, appointed in October 2019 after an earlier career with the company and leadership roles at Allied Waste Industries and Univar. His second tenure has centered on hospitality, new business growth and client relationships, with the Vestis separation and the launch of Aramark Nexus among its consequential developments.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Aramark
- **Organizations:** Aramark, Allied Waste Industries, Univar, CSX Corporation, Ecolab
- **Education:** MBA, Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
- **Known for:** Named to NACD’s Directorship 100 in 2016., Led Aramark through the 2023 separation of Vestis., Aramark received Extel’s Most Honored Company recognition in its large-company industry category in March 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1986-2005** — Held successive Aramark leadership positions, culminating in President of Global Food and Support Services; this date range is used in the investor-relations board biography.
- **2005-2008** — Chairman and CEO of Allied Waste Industries.
- **2009-2012** — CEO and subsequently Executive Chairman of Univar.
- **2016** — Named to the NACD Directorship 100.
- **2019** — Returned to Aramark as CEO on October 7 and joined its board.
- **2023** — Aramark separated its uniforms and workplace supplies business into Vestis, effective September 30; regular trading began October 2.
- **2026** — Aramark launched Nexus to serve AI data-center workforce communities and other complex operating environments.

## Achievements

- Named to NACD’s Directorship 100 in 2016.
- Led Aramark through the 2023 separation of Vestis.
- Aramark received Extel’s Most Honored Company recognition in its large-company industry category in March 2025.
- Under his leadership, Aramark reported approximately 98% client retention and more than $1.6 billion in new client wins fiscal year to date in its August 2026 earnings release.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Aramark reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $5.1 billion, up 9% year over year, and approximately 98% client retention.
- **2026-06** — Aramark named Pat Liebler President & CEO of its new Nexus division.
- **2026-04** — Aramark announced its integrated hospitality platform for hyperscale AI data-center workforce communities.

## Links

- Website: https://www.aramark.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-zillmer-4a36b816

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-zillmer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21