“It’s a voyage of discovery to find the right data and make sure it shows profit margin consistently and accurately.”

That’s the work that Jeff Glazer does every day. Jeff joined the SanMar team in June 2018, as our new Manager of Finance, Planning and Analysis.

At that time, the Finance department consisted of one person: Jeff himself. His job, in addition to developing the numbers SanMar needed to support a growing company, was to establish a top-tier finance team.

The work he’s done in the years since then has earned him the respect of everyone he’s worked with, plus an alternate title: the Keeper of Margin.

As of last month, Jeff’s hard work also earned him a unique recognition. In December, he was named the recipient for the 2025 Yellow T-shirt Award, given to the employee who goes above and beyond the requirements of their job and lives the SanMar values of Be Nice and Tell the Truth.

A Talent for Numbers

“In the fifth grade, I did three years of math in one year. Numbers drive me—it’s
exciting to see how they can be used to help make decisions.”

Jeff has always been drawn to the power of numbers and math. When his Dad showed him his first Excel spreadsheet, he was fascinated by how formulas worked and what they could reveal.

Later, Jeff translated his interest in all things numerical into a career telling the financial stories of companies in almost every business category, including Microsoft, T-Mobile, Costco and Eddie Bauer.

Jeff learned from a lot of talented people along the way. And he found that all the business sectors he explored were pretty consistent when it came to finances. Whether it’s cellular service, groceries, or clothing, they all sell products and carry inventory. “Those financial metrics are all pretty similar,” he says.

He’s had the privilege of working with organizations during periods of success and when there were challenges.

“You learn a lot when they’re not doing well,” Jeff says. “You look under every stone and develop standards and metrics where they can make a real difference.”

After nearly 30 years working in the world of finance, this is the experience and philosophy that brought him to SanMar.

Consistency is King

“Everyone says ‘I wish I would have found SanMar sooner.’ It’s so true. Everyone here wants everyone to succeed. It’s extraordinary.”

Jeff was the first person hired onto the SanMar finance team, and he had plenty of work to do right away. He was responsible for developing financial forecasts, budgets, analytics and metrics to support the company’s plans for growth.

But before he could do any of that, he had to make sure that the numbers he was working with told a consistent story. “We retooled profit and loss statements so they were clear-cut and concise,” Jeff recalls. “And we began creating definitions of margin.”

He also started adding to his team, working across the company and building a shared understanding of the financial picture of SanMar. One of their first real tests came in early 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were doing scenario planning a couple weeks into March,” Jeff remembers. “Without that foundation, it would have been so much harder. Navigating that was a huge success story for the team.”

Today that team is made up of five people. Jeff describes it as a “best-in-class” group that supports departments across the company, including distribution, sales and marketing.

“Now we can give you profit margin by style, or by customer,” he says. He’s incredibly proud of how far they’ve come.

The Yellow T-Shirt Award

“It meant more to me than anything in my career.”

On an early morning in December 2025, Jeff received a meeting invitation from CFO Paul Whyatt. The meeting was to take place later that morning in the office, and he drove to work with no idea what it was about.

A few hours later, during a company-wide gathering, Jeff was named as the recipient of the 2025 Yellow T-Shirt award. This is a special recognition given to only one SanMar employee every year, and its name hearkens back to our founding principles.

Jeff was awestruck when his name was called. While a video was shown, in which his colleagues congratulated him, he was given a few moments to react. “I lost it,” he remembers with a laugh. “I was glad I had a chance to catch my breath and dry my eyes.”

While Jeff is proud of the work he and his team have done, he didn’t expect to win any awards for it. To him, this is simply what they do every day: getting their numbers reliable, consistent and dialed in.

Jeff says that achieving this recognition is the pinnacle of his career so far. He’s also quick to credit his team with the work that earned it.

“As far as I’m concerned,” Jeff states confidently, ”I’ve got five yellow t-shirts working for me. I also couldn’t do this without the support of Paul Whyatt, the best CFO in the business.”

Motivated by the People

“We work hard every day. I’ve done that my whole career. The reward is having an impact…making a difference.”

Outside of SanMar, Jeff has a busy life. His four young adult sons all live locally, and keep him on his toes. “You never know what’s going to happen at home every night,” he says. “I just love spending time with them.” Jeff added that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the loving support of his wife Wendy.

Jeff is also an active member of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, an opportunity that came about through his connections at SanMar. He and his family have lived in the area for about 25 years, and he sees it as a chance to take part in the community his family has come to love.

“Maybe it’s making chalk marks on the pavement for vendors at Salmon Days, or educating local leaders about changes on the ballot,” he says. Whatever he’s doing, he enjoys the chance to show up and help out.

He’s driven by numbers, and his spreadsheets are legendary at SanMar. But it’s clear that Jeff is also motivated by what he can do for the people who work here.

“When I started, I didn’t think I’d be forecasting labor for all nine distribution centers,” Jeff says. “But it’s the right place. I love it.”

We’re glad Jeff is here too, and congratulate him on a well-deserved Yellow T-Shirt Award. Here’s to being the Keeper of Margin for many years to come.