George Zimmer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Zimmer (born 21 November 1948) is an American entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of the Men's Wearhouse, a men's clothing retailer that now has more than 600 stores across the U.S. and Canada under the brands Moores, Men's Wearhouse and K&G Superstores.
Born in New York, Zimmer graduated with an A.B. in Economics from Washington University in 1970. Upon graduation, he worked as a substitute teacher before joining his father in the clothing manufacturing business. Later in the early 1970's, he worked as an purchasing agent and salesman in Hong Kong.
He opened his first Men's Wearhouse store in 1973 in Houston, Texas. Zimmer 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." He owns 8.7% of Men's Wearhouse, a stake which, as of November 2004, was worth $94 million.[1]
Zimmer's style of corporate management is peculiar in the view of some (because of such events as the company's June 2004 nomination of guru Deepak Chopra to its board), while others perceive his style as cutting-edge[2]. Zimmer is also known for his philanthropic support of research into the therapeutic use of MDMA[3], as well as efforts to legalize medical marijuana. Zimmer is reputed to be a recovering alcoholic.[4]
