Clarence Otis, Jr.
Board of Directors since 2004
Experience
- 2004 – 2014 (retired): CEO, Darden Restaurants, Inc.
- 2002 – 2004: Executive Vice President, Darden Restaurants, Inc., and President of its Smokey Bones Restaurants division
- 2002: Executive Vice President and CFO of Darden Restaurants, Inc.
- 1999 – 2002: Senior Vice President and CFO Darden Restaurants, Inc.
Other Public Company Directorships
- 2017 – Present: The Travelers Companies, Inc.
- 2006 – Present: Verizon Communications, Inc. (Lead Independent Director since 2019)
Former Public Company Directorships
- 2004 – 2014: Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Chair of the Board)
Notable Skills and Qualifications and Key Board Contributions:
- Mr. Otis has nearly 30 years of leadership experience in the retail industry, including 10 years as CEO of Darden Restaurants, Inc., a publicly traded multi-brand full-service restaurant company with well-known consumer brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Capital Grille and he offers impactful guidance to the Board and leadership team on long-term strategic planning and execution useful for growing brands with complex retail operations.
- Mr. Otis has significant risk management oversight experience specific to retail and consumer technology companies, including cybersecurity, through his leadership roles at Darden Restaurants and his Board experience at Verizon Communications, Inc.
- Named one of the most influential directors in the board room by the National Association of Corporate Directors in 2019, Mr. Otis brings deep understanding of strategic planning, corporate governance, social initiatives and succession planning gained through public company Board leadership, including his Board leadership roles on the VF Board as a previous Chair of VF’s Audit Committee and previous Chair of VF’s Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee.