Jeffrey Brotman
| Jeffrey Brotman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Jeffrey Hart Brotman September 27, 1942 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Died |
August 1, 2017 (aged 74) Medina, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Washington, B.A., J.D. |
| Occupation | Attorney, entrepreneur, corporate executive |
| Known for | Co-founder and chairman of Costco |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Thrailkill (m. 1976) |
| Children | 2 |
Jeffrey Hart Brotman (September 27, 1942 – August 1, 2017) was an American attorney. He was a corporate executive and entrepreneur, who was the co-founder and chairman of Costco Wholesale Corporation, which became the world s second largest retail corporation and had international operations
Early life and education
Brotman was born in Tacoma, Washington, the son of Bernie and Pearl Brotman, Jewish immigrants from Romania.[1][2] His father was an owner of Seattle Knitting Mills. Along with his uncles, he owned a chain of 18 retail stores in Washington and Oregon named Bernie's.[2]
In 1965, the family moved to Seattle.[2] Brotman graduated from the University of Washington in 1964 with a degree in political science and in 1967 with a J.D.[2] He was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at the University of Washington.[3] After school, he and his brother, Michael, founded a women's jeans store named Bottoms; and in the 1980s, they founded the Jeffrey Michael chain of men’s clothing stores, which they operated into the 1990s.[2]
Career
In 1982, Brotman co-founded Costco Wholesale Corporation with Jim Sinegal.[4] He served as chairman from the company's inception until his death, except during a stretch from 1993 to 1994 when he was vice chairman.[5][6] Brotman was reported to have extensive knowledge of Costco and its development.[4]
Brotman served on the boards of several public companies and[7] according to Businessweek magazine, was "connected to 13 board members".[8][9] He sat on the board of directors of the Million-Dollar Roundtable at the United Way of King County.[10] He also served on the boards of Seafirst Bank, Starbucks, and was a trustee at the Seattle Art Museum.[11]
Death
Brotman died August 1, 2017 in Medina, Washington, at the age of 74.[12][5] He was survived by his wife Susan Thrailkill, and two children.[1]
References
- 1 2 Roberts, Sam (August 2, 2017). "Jeff Brotman, Founder of Retail Juggernaut Costco, Dies at 74". The New York Times.
- 1 2 3 4 5 History Link: "Brotman, Jeffrey H. (b. 1942) and Susan R. (b. 1949)" retrieved August 28, 2015
- ↑ "Notable Alumni". Zeta Beta Tau. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- 1 2 Costco About accessed March 1, 2012
- 1 2 Turner, Nick; Soper, Spencer (August 1, 2017). "Jeffrey Brotman, Who Co-Founded Costco in 1980s, Dies at 74". Bloomberg News.
- ↑ McGregor, Jena (7 September 2011). "On Leadership: Costco chief executive Jim Sinegal". Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ↑ Brotman Bio Forbes accessed March 1, 2012
- ↑ Business week on Brotman Businessweek, accessed March 1, 2012
- ↑ Jeffrey Brotman Executive Profile Businessweek, retrieved March 4, 2012
- ↑ Jeffrey H. Brotman Market Watch, retrieved March 4, 2012
- ↑ "Jeffrey H. Brotman". NNDB. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
- ↑ Horowitz, Julia (August 1, 2017). "Costco's co-founder and chairman dies". CNN.