Who runs the method

Every cohort runs on operational discipline. That’s Zac.

Zac Gleason is co-founder and COO of the People First Method — the operator who runs the cohorts day to day, coaches members through the program, and keeps the whole experience on time, on budget, and on mission.

He brings a track record most people-skills programs can’t: a scientist and operations leader with 19+ years of building high-performing teams, growing P&L, and holding work to exacting, documented standards.

The through-line

In every role, he brings out the best in the team.

Trace Zac’s career and one pattern repeats in every chapter: he builds and mentors high-performing teams, and he pairs that with the operational rigor — risk management, documentation, P&L discipline — that turns good intentions into repeatable results.

It’s why the People First Method isn’t just a great idea. It’s a run, structured program that delivers the same experience to every member, cohort after cohort. That reliability is Zac’s signature.

The record

Where the discipline was earned.

Water Quality Association

Laboratory & Facilities Director

2018 – present · Lisle, IL

  • Grew lab-services revenue 57% over six years — the organization’s primary revenue source — while improving profit margins.
  • Developed and mentors a 15-person team of laboratory professionals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Owns full P&L; leads strategic planning and risk/compliance for all lab and facility operations as a member of the leadership team.

People First Method

Founder & COO

2024 – present · Remote

  • Co-founded the educational venture that equips tech professionals with the people-first skills that drive project success.
  • Runs cohorts and weekly coaching, and operationalized the system behind PFM’s 95% successful-closure target.
  • Translates a 20-year delivery playbook into a structured, repeatable member experience.

Cascade Designs, Inc.

Laboratory Manager · R&D Microbiologist

2006 – 2018 · Seattle, WA

  • Led product development and field research across the U.S., Mali, Kenya, India, and Mexico, advancing clean-water technology.
  • Responsible for experimental design, QA/QC validation, and employee development — growing the people as well as the science.
  • Co-author of peer-reviewed research published in Nature (Scientific Reports, 2015).

Foundations

Microbiologist · B.S. Microbiology

2003 – 2009 · University of Washington

  • Began in research and QA/QC microbiology, screening and validating new water-treatment technologies.
  • Secured ISO (GMP/GLP) and A2LA certifications, authoring the SOPs and documentation systems behind them.
  • The origin of a career-long habit: clarity, evidence, and process you can hand to someone else.

A constant, since the beginning

“Zac is detailed and thorough. He is an excellent problem solver and an asset to any team.”
Mike MunterDirector of Research, Development & Product Design · 2009

A colleague said it in 2009 — and it has described every team Zac has built since. More from the people he leads today is on the way.

Creator & operator

Two halves of why the method works.

Jon created the method — two decades of Salesforce delivery distilled into a people-first playbook. Zac runs it — turning that playbook into a disciplined program that reaches every member the same way, every time.

Read the story behind the method’s creation: Meet Jon Cline →

See the program he runs.

Join the next cohort, or bring the People First Method to your team.

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