George Zimmer, whose daughter, Sarah, graduated from the University of Redlands last year, is a true American entrepreneur.  Born in New York, he graduated with a degree in economics from Washington University and then worked as a substitute teacher before joining his father in the clothing manufacturing business.  He later worked as a purchasing agent and salesman in Hong Kong.

In 1973, George opened his first Men’s Wearhouse store in Houston, Texas.  He has been chairman of the board since the company’s incorporation in 1974, held the position of president between 1974 and 1997 and has served as chief executive officer since 1991.

George narrates and appears in many of his company’s television commercials, usually closing with the company slogan, “You’re going to like the way you look.  I guarantee it.”

The Men’s Wearhouse is one of North America’s largest specialty retailers of men's apparel, with 580 stores in the United States and 114 in Canada.  The company is public and boasts sales of over $1.8 billion.

An early adopter of ''servant leadership,'' George has successfully integrated this practice into the Men's Wearhouse culture.  He gives highest priority to his 14,000 employees, followed in order by customers, vendors, community and shareholders.  This philosophy has earned the Men's Wearhouse a place on FORTUNE’s ''The 100 Best Companies to Work For in America'' seven times, one of George Zimmer’s proudest achievements.  Every five years all full-time employees receive a three-week paid sabbatical on top of their regular vacations – virtually unheard of in the retail industry.  According to Business Week, Mr. Zimmer “has always been obsessed by the human relations side of management.”

George Zimmer is often invited to share his philosophy and has been the featured speaker at several business schools including Stanford, Northwestern, Duke and UC Berkeley.