Document:

Exhibit
10.20

[VWR Letterhead]

Date:       June 11, 2004

To:          Stephen J. Kunst

Re:          Your VWR Employment Contract

Dear Steve:

As you know, VWR has
redesigned several aspects of the management compensation program, including a
Management Equity and Option Program (“Equity Program”) that we believe builds
a strong basis to foster a performance-based culture and generate shareholder
wealth, including the potential for individual wealth creation.  As a senior leader, you are included in all
the new management compensation programs, including the opportunity to
participate in the Equity Program.

At the same time, VWR’s
philosophy regarding employment contracts has changed and VWR will not be
renewing or offering employment contracts to its employees and leaders in the
future, except as may be required by local law.  VWR and its new owners believe that an individual’s participation
in the management compensation programs, while at the same time having an
employment contract, is inconsistent with our performance-based culture and our
overall compensation philosophy.

To summarize our
discussions regarding employment contracts:

1.                                       Effective immediately, you will be
included in all new management compensation programs, including the opportunity
to participate in the Equity Program.

2.                                       As of June 30, 2005, your current
employment contract will be terminated.

3.                                       For purposes of your current employment
contract termination benefit calculation only, your salary and target
bonus amount will be frozen as of April 6, 2004.

4.                                       On June 30, 2005, you will either

i.                                          elect to remain with VWR as an “at will”
employee in your then current job function, at your then current compensation
level, and will continue to participate in VWR’s employee benefit programs at
then current benefit levels, but without any employment contract (unless
required by local law), or

 

ii.                                       elect to leave VWR and VWR will pay to
you, in accordance with your Employment Agreement, the contractual termination
benefit due, calculated with your frozen salary and target bonus amount.

5.                                       If required by local law, on July 1,
2005, a new “statutory minimum” employment agreement will be agreed between you
and VWR.

We believe that total
management alignment with VWR’s goals, philosophy and culture will enable VWR
to substantially increase our revenues and profits and that the potential
benefits of the new management compensation systems far outweigh the benefits
afforded by your employment contract. 
We trust, after due consideration, that you will conclude the same.

Sincerely, 

	
  James W. Rogers

  Chairman of the Board

  	
  Walter W. Zywottek

  President & CEO

  

 

2Exhibit
10.21

EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT,
dated as of the 1st day of July, 2003 between VWR International, Inc., a
Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”) and Gerard Christian (the “Employee”).

WHEREAS, the Employee
possesses unique knowledge of the laboratory distribution and related
businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Board of
Directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) believes it to be in the
best interests of the Company to secure the Employee’s employment by the
Company in the capacity and under the terms and conditions set forth herein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises and agreements
hereinafter set forth, the Company and Employee agree as follows:

1.             Effective Date. 
This Employment Agreement shall become effective on the date first
written above ( the “Effective Date”).

2.             Employment. 
The Company hereby employs the Employee and the Employee hereby accepts
employment all upon the terms and conditions herein set forth.

3.             Duties. 
The Employee shall perform such management duties for the Company and
its affiliates as may from time to time be assigned and which are consistent
with his title Senior Vice President, General
Manager Science Education. 
The Employee hereby promises to perform and discharge, well and
faithfully, all duties of his position. 
If Employee is elected as a director or officer of any affiliate of the
Company, the Employee shall serve in such capacity or capacities without
further compensation.

4.             Extent of Services.  The Employee shall devote his entire time, attention and energies
to the business of the Company and shall not during the term of this Employment
Agreement be engaged in any other business activity whether or not such
business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage; but
this shall not be construed as preventing the Employee from investing his
personal assets in businesses which do not compete with the Company in such
form or manner as will not require any services on the part of the Employee in
the operation of the affairs of the companies in which such investments are
made and in which his participation is solely that of an investor, nor shall
this be construed as preventing the Employee from purchasing securities in any
corporation whose securities are regularly traded provided that such purchases
shall not result in his collectively owning beneficially at any time one
percent (1 %) or more of the equity securities of any corporation engaged in a
business competitive to that of the Company, without the express prior written
consent of the Company.

 

5.             Compensation.

(a)           For services rendered under this
Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay the Employee a salary determined
annually by the Board of Directors (the “Base Salary”), payable (after
deduction of applicable payroll taxes) in equal semimonthly installments.  Employee’s Base Salary as of the Effective
Date shall be $181,200.  The Employee
shall also be eligible for and participate in such fringe benefits as shall be
generally provided to executives of the Company, including medical insurance
and retirement programs which may be adopted from time to time during the term
hereof by the Company.

(b)           The Board of Directors shall review
the Employee’s compensation at least once a year and effect such increases in
the Base Salary as the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, determines
are merited, based upon the Employee’s performance and consistent with the
Company’s compensation policies.  At the
conclusion of each Fiscal Year, the Employee shall be eligible for, and the
Board of Directors in its sole discretion may award, an executive bonus based
on the achievement of objectives established by the Board of Directors in line
with the rules of the Company’s bonus plan.

6.             Paid Time Off. 
During the term of this Employment Agreement, the Employee shall be
entitled to the same number of paid days off pursuant to the Company’s
customary paid time off policy as he has on the date of this Employment Agreement.

7.             Expenses. 
During the term of this Employment Agreement, the Company shall
reimburse the Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by
the Employee in connection with the business of the Company and in performance
of his duties under this Employment Agreement upon the Employee’s presentation
to the Company of an itemized accounting of such expenses with reasonable
supporting data.

8.             Term.  The
Employee’s employment under this Employment Agreement shall commence on the
Effective Date and shall expire on the second year anniversary date
thereof.  The term of employment shall
automatically be extended for consecutive periods of one (1) year each unless
notice of termination of employment is given by either party hereto at least
ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the initial or any renewal term, in
which case, this Agreement shall terminate at the end of such initial or
renewal term, as the case may be.  In
the case of a renewal and unless otherwise agreed to in writing by both
parties, the terms and conditions of this Employment Agreement shall apply to
any renewals or extensions thereto. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may, at its election,
terminate the Employee’s employment hereunder as follows:

(i)            Upon thirty (30) days’ notice if the
Employee becomes physically or mentally incapacitated or is injured so that he
is unable to perform

 

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the services required of
him hereunder and such inability to perform continues for a period in excess of
twenty-six (26) weeks and is continuing at the time of such notice; or

(ii)           For “Cause” upon notice of such
termination to the Employee.  For
purposes of this Employment Agreement, the Company shall have “Cause” to
terminate its obligations hereunder upon (A) the reasonable determination by
the Board of Directors that the Employee has repeatedly failed to attain
performance goals and/or budget targets or other unsatisfactory performance or
to substantially to perform his duties hereunder (other than as a result of his
incapacity due to physical or mental illness or injury), which failure amounts
to a repeated and consistent neglect of his duties hereunder, (B) refusal to
carry out any lawful direction of the Board of Directors or lawful regulation
or policy of the Company, (C) the reasonable determination by the Board of
Directors that the Employee has engaged or is about to engage in conduct
materially injurious to the Company, (D) the Employee’s having been convicted
of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, (E) a material breach
by the Employee of any of the other covenants or representations herein or any
other agreement between Employee and the Company, or (F) fraud, theft,
embezzlement or misappropriation of Company property or funds; or

(iii)          Without Cause at any time upon notice
of such termination to the Employee; or

(iv)          Upon the death of the Employee.

9.             Payment Upon Termination.

(a)           If this Employment Agreement is
terminated pursuant to paragraph 8(i) above, the Employee shall receive disability
pay from the date of such termination until the second anniversary of the
Effective Date at the rate of 50% of the Base Salary, reduced by applicable
payroll taxes and further reduced by the amount received by the Employee during
such period under any Company-maintained disability insurance policy or plan or
under Social Security or similar laws. 
Such disability payments shall be paid periodically to the Employee as
provided in paragraph 5(a) for the payment of salary.

(b)           If the Employment Agreement is
terminated pursuant to paragraph 8(ii) or 8(iv) above, the Employee shall
receive no salary continuation pay or severance pay.

(c)           If this Employment Agreement is
terminated pursuant to paragraph 8(iii) above, the Employee shall (i) receive
salary continuation pay for the remainder of the contractual term, but not in
any event for less than twenty-four months from the date of such termination,
equal to the Employee’s most recent annual salary (excluding any

 

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and all bonus amounts); and (ii) be eligible to
receive a prorated bonus payment, payable once and with respect to the calendar
year of termination only, in accordance with the then current executive bonus
plan; provided, however, that the salary continuation payments shall cease if
the Employee shall, directly or indirectly, be in breach of his obligations
under paragraph 13 hereof.  Such salary
continuation payments (less applicable payroll taxes) shall be paid
periodically to the Employee as provided in paragraph 5(a) for the payment of
the Base Salary.

(d)           If the Company shall decide not to
renew this Employment Agreement, the Employee shall receive severance pay, for
a period of twenty-four months following the date of expiration of the then current
term, equal to the Employee’s most recent annual salary (excluding any and all
executive bonus plan amounts); provided, however, that the severance payments
shall cease if the Employee shall, directly or indirectly, be in breach of his
obligations under paragraph 13 hereof. 
Such severance payments (less applicable payroll taxes) shall be paid
periodically to the Employee as provided in paragraph 5(a) for the payment of
the Base Salary.  The Employee hereby
agrees to make a smooth transition of responsibilities during that ninety (90)
day period and the Employee further agrees not to take any legal action against
the Company related to said non-renewal and termination of employment.

(e)           During the salary continuation or
severance period, the Employee shall be under no obligation to mitigate the
costs to the Company of the salary continuation or severance payments, and,
provided that the Employee is not in breach of his obligations under paragraph
13 hereof, no compensation that the Employee may receive from another employer
during the salary continuation or severance period shall be offset against
amounts owed to Employee hereunder.

10.           Representations.  The Employee hereby represents to the
Company that (a) he is legally entitled to enter into this Employment Agreement
and to perform the services contemplated herein and is not bound under any
employment or consulting agreement to render services to any third party, (b)
he has the full right, power and authority, subject to no rights of third
parties, to grant to the Company the rights contemplated by paragraph 11
hereof, and (c) he does not now have, nor within the last three years has had,
any ownership interest in any business enterprise (other than interest in
publicly traded corporations where his ownership does not exceed one percent
(1%) or more of the equity capital) which is a customer of the Company, any of
its subsidiaries, or from which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
purchases any goods or services or to whom such corporations owe any financial
obligations or are required or directed to make any payments.

11.           Inventions.  The Employee hereby sells, transfers and
assigns to the Company or to any person or entity designated by the Company all
of the entire right, title and interest of the Employee in and to all
inventions, ideas, disclosures and improvements, whether patented or
unpatented, and copyrightable material, made or

 

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conceived by the Employee, solely or jointly, during
the term hereof which relate to methods, apparatus, designs, products,
processes or devices, sold, leased, used or under consideration or development
by the Company or any of its affiliates or which otherwise relate to or pertain
to the business, functions or operations of the Company or any of its
affiliates or which arise from the efforts of the Employee during the course of
his employment for the Company or any of its affiliates.  The Employee shall communicate promptly and
disclose to the Company, in such form as the Company requests, all information,
details and data pertaining to the aforementioned inventions, ideas,
disclosures and improvements; and the Employee shall execute and deliver to the
Company such formal transfers and assignments and such other papers and
documents as may be necessary or required of the Employee to permit the Company
or any person or entity designated by the Company to file and prosecute the
patent applications and, as to copyrightable material, to obtain copyright
thereof.  Any invention relating to the
business of the Company and its affiliates and disclosed by the Employee within
one year following the termination of this Employment Agreement shall be deemed
to fall within the provisions of this paragraph unless proved to have been first
conceived and made following such termination.

12.           Disclosure of Information.  The Employee recognizes and acknowledges
that the trade secrets, know-how and proprietary processes of the Company and
its affiliates as they may exist from time to time are valuable, special and
unique assets of the business of the Company and its affiliates, access to and
knowledge of which are essential to the performance of the Employee’s duties
hereunder.  The Employee will not, during
or after the term of his employment by the Company or any of its affiliates, in
whole or in part, disclose such secrets, know-how or processes to any person,
firm, corporation, association or other entity for any reason or purpose
whatsoever, nor shall the Employee make use of any such property for his own
purposes or for the benefit of any person, firm, corporation or other entity
(except the Company and its affiliates) under any circumstances during or after
the term of his employment, provided that after the term of his employment these
restrictions shall not apply to such secrets, know-how and processes which are
then in the public domain (provided that the Employee was not responsible,
directly or indirectly, for such secrets, know-how or processes entering the
public domain without the Company’s consent).

13.           Non-Competition.  During the term of Employee’s employment
hereunder and (a) for a period beginning on the date of termination of
Employee’s employment hereunder for any reason (other than a termination by the
Company pursuant to paragraph 8(iii) hereof) and ending on the later of two (2)
years after the date of this Agreement or two (2) years after any such
termination of employment, or (b) for a period beginning on the date of any
termination of Employee’s employment hereunder pursuant to paragraph 8(iii)
hereof and ending two (2) years after the date of the last payments to be made
to Employee pursuant to paragraph 8(iii), Employee shall not, with the
organizations identified or otherwise described in the last sentence of this paragraph
13, directly or

 

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indirectly: (i) engage anywhere in the distribution or
supply of laboratory equipment, chemicals or supplies to the scientific
marketplace in competition with any product which at any time during the term
of such employment has been sold or distributed by the Company; (ii) be or
become a stockholder, partner, owner, officer, director or employee or agent
of, or a consultant to or provide financial or other assistance to, any such organization;
(iii) seek in competition with the business of the Company to procure orders
from or do business with any customer of the Company; (iv) solicit, or contact
with a view to the engagement or employment by, any person or entity of any
person who is an employee of the Company; (v) seek to contract with or engage
(in such a way as to adversely affect or interfere with the business of the
Company) any person or entity who has been contracted with or engaged to supply
or deliver products, goods, materials or services to the Company; or (vi)
engage in or participate in any effort or act to induce any of the customers,
associates, consultants, partners, or employees of the Company or any of its
affiliates to take any action which might be disadvantageous to the Company or
any of its affiliates; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit
the Employee from owning, as a passive investor, in the aggregate not more than
2% of the outstanding publicly trades stock of any corporation so engaged.  The duration of the Employee’s covenants set
forth in this paragraph 13 shall be extended by a period of time equal to the
number of days, if any, during which the Employee is in violation of the
provisions hereof.  For purposes hereof,
Employee shall be deemed to be acting in competition with the Company if he
engages in the activities identified in the first sentence of this section with
Fisher Scientific International Inc., Burdick & Jackson, SciQuest,
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Mallinckrodt-Baker Chemical Co., Carolina Biological
Supply Company, Flynn Scientific, Inc., School Specialty Inc., and any of their
respective affiliates, or any other distributor or supplier of laboratory
equipment, chemicals or supplies to the scientific or science education marketplace
having annual sales in excess of $50,000,000. 
The Board of Directors may periodically revise the list of competitive
organizations by written notice to Employee, which notice, the Employee hereby
agrees, shall automatically amend this Employment Agreement.  It is the desire and intent of the parties
that the provisions of this paragraph 13 shall be enforced to the fullest
extent permissible under the laws and public policies applied in each
jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. 
Accordingly, if any particular portion of this paragraph 13 shall be
adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable, this paragraph 13 shall be deemed
amended to delete therefrom the portion thus adjudicated to be invalid or
unenforceable, such deletion to apply only with respect to the operation of
this paragraph in the particular jurisdiction in which such adjudication is
made.

14.           Injunctive Relief.  If there is a breach or threatened breach of
the provisions of paragraph 11, 12 or 13 of this Employment Agreement, the Company
shall be entitled to an injunction restraining the Employee from such
breach.  Nothing herein shall be
construed as prohibiting the Company from pursuing any other remedies for such
breach or threatened breach.

 

6

 

15.           Insurance.  The Company may, at its election and for its
benefit, insure the Employee against accidental loss or death, and the Employee
shall submit to such physical examination and supply such information as may be
required in connection therewith.

16.           Notices.  Any notice required or permitted to be given
under this Employment Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and if sent
by registered mail to the Employee at his home address as reflected on the
records of the Company, in the case of the Employee, or VWR International,
Inc., 1310 West Goshen Parkway, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380, in the case
of the Company.

17.           Waiver of Breach.  A waiver by the Company or the Employee of a
breach of any provision of this Employment Agreement by the other party shall
not operate or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach by the other
party.

18.           Governing Law.  This Employment Agreement shall be governed
by and construed and enforce in accordance with the laws of the State of
Pennsylvania without giving effect to the choice of law or conflict of laws
provisions thereof.

19.           Assignment.  This Employment Agreement may be assigned,
without the consent of the Employee, by the Company to any of its affiliates,
or to any other person, partnership, corporation, or other entity which has
purchased substantially all the assets of the Company, provided such assignee
assumes all the liabilities of the Company hereunder.

20.           Entire Agreement.  This Employment Agreement contains the
entire agreement of the parties and supersedes any and all agreements, letter
of intent or understandings between the Employee and (a) the Company, (b) any
of the Company’s principle shareholders, affiliates or subsidiaries regarding
employment.  This Employment Agreement
may be changed only by an agreement in writing signed by a party against whom
enforcement of any waiver, change, modification, extension or discharge is
sought.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties have executed this Employment Agreement as of the day first herein
above written.

	
  VWR INTERNATIONAL, INC

  	
   

  	
  EMPLOYEE

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  By:

  	
  /s/ Walter W. Zywottek

  	
   

  	
  By:

  	
  /s/ Gerard Christian

  
	
   

  	
  Walter W. Zywottek

  	
   

  	
   

  	
  Gerard Christian

  
	
   

  	
  Chief Executive Officer

  	
   

  	
   

  

 

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