Power Women: Jackie Glover

When Jackie Glover joined MAAX Spas in 1988, she was simply looking for a job — not a lifelong career. But somewhere along the way, the work, the people and the challenges became something much bigger.

Jackie moved from Indiana to Arizona in the mid-1980s, eventually settling in Phoenix to be closer to family. When she interviewed at MAAX, company leader Fred Hines asked her about her goals. Her answer was modest: “To work for a company longer than two years.” 

“I guess I needed to put an end date on that,” she jokes, knowing she far exceeded that target. Today, she stands as one of the company’s longest-tenured members.

Her role as credit manager is equal parts financial discipline and human connection. Early on, leaders like Hines and Terry Rick helped her understand how her strengths fit the work — Hines affirmed her intelligence, and Rick encouraged her natural humor, both of which became core to how she connects with dealers.

“I like to say I give it and I take it away,” she says. Her team jokingly calls it “Jackie Jail,” a nickname she embraces. She can open a line of credit or shut it down, keep accounts clean and resolve discrepancies, all while protecting the business from unnecessary risk. But to Jackie, the job is fundamentally about people. “Sometimes just making somebody laugh is enough to break the ice,” she says.

Jackie rejects the stereotype of the harsh, unforgiving credit controller. In her decades of experience, relationship-building has proven far more effective than rigidity. She knows which customers want a quick, no-nonsense reminder and which appreciate a personal touch, even a check-in about their family. After 38 years, many of the dealers she works with feel like extended family. She’s watched some retire and their children take over the business. She remembers a turning point in her 40s when she finally realized, “Dang, I’m really good at this,” and the job shifted fully into a career.

But her journey wasn’t without obstacles. As a woman — and a blonde woman, she notes — she often found herself underestimated. She recalls sitting in a meeting with upper management discussing a risk account when a male colleague dismissed her concern. “I think I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been in the industry for 20 years,” he told her. Jackie didn’t hesitate: “Really? Because I’ve been in the industry for 30 years.” 

Those moments used to sting. Today, she lets them roll off. “Not letting it bother me anymore is how I got through it,” she says.

Over time, she also found strength in partnership. Her closest counterpart, inside sales manager Mary Van De Walle, has been with MAAX even longer than she has. Together, they form what leadership affectionately calls “the powerhouse.” That collaboration helps Jackie see issues from multiple angles — something she values especially when making judgment calls that affect dealers’ livelihoods.

She’s now training her successor, though she isn’t in a rush to retire. The knowledge Jackie carries is vast, including years of unusual situations, complicated accounts and industry nuance. Training, for her, is an act of stewardship. She wants the next person to be prepared not just for the technical side of the job, but for the relational one.

Her advice for women entering the industry is unflinching. “Don’t be pushed around,” she says. And if someone labels you with the “B-word,” she adds, embrace it — sometimes it’s your superpower. Stand your ground, own your decisions, take responsibility when things go wrong and celebrate loudly when they go right.

As long as MAAX needs her, she’ll keep showing up because, in her words, the industry is here to stay. “People are always going to have stress,” she says. “And hot tubs help.”

Jackie’s Tool Kit

• A must-have desk item: my crystals 
• Favorite tech tool or organizational system: Outlook folders for all my accounts
• A wellness habit that keeps you grounded: tequila and vacations 
• Go-to coffee/drink order: tequila
• A song that amps you up, calms you down or motivates you: “Sister Golden Hair” by America
• A book that inspires you: “Handbook to Higher Consciousness” by Ken Keyes Jr.
• A favorite piece of advice: Remember, most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is. Adjust your attitude. Change how you see things. Look for the good in all situations. Take the lesson and find new opportunities to grow. Let all the extra stress, worrying and overthinking go.