Clarice Turner serves as a Board Director for Delicato Family Wines, the 5th largest wine company in the U.S., and for private equity owned Blaze Pizza. She is a trustee of the Culinary Institute of America, and an advisor on the Dean’s Development Council for San Francisco State University Lam School of Business.
Turner is former President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, an iconic Napa Valley winery crafting luxury world class estate wines since 1973. She was responsible for executing the company’s mission to ensure its long-term growth and sustainability, resulting in the largest net operating margin in the company’s 45-year history, and subsequent sale to Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey.
Prior to joining Joseph Phelps, Clarice was chief executive officer of Boudin Bakery and held global executive leadership positions with Starbucks Coffee Company, YUM! Brands and PepsiCo. She has developed a well-versed business perspective from her vast management experience in the consumer products, foodservice and hospitality, and the wine and spirits sectors. A gifted strategic thinker, she has a keen ability to anticipate, recognize and develop hidden opportunities, create innovative and successful solutions while taking calculated risk to drive positive business outcomes.
Earlier in her career, as president and chief operating officer for Papa Murphy’s International, Clarice was one of a small group of female leaders in the foodservice sector. This group of 13 women executives attended the inaugural meeting between the White House Council on Women and Girls and the White House Business Council to address the barriers to advancement for women.
A geology and international business major who attended Fudan University in China, Clarice is distinctively poised to understand the role different nationalities play in shaping inclusive cultures of diverse thought. As a result, she has made it an imperative to be a member or lead Diversity and Inclusion efforts at every company she has worked for. Her committees have led increased supplier diversity, development of performance goal metrics for all organizational levels and have commissioned extensive cross-cultural training programs.
Her current and former board memberships include Delicato Family Wines, Blaze Pizza, Culinary Institute of America, National Restaurant Association, Washington State University Carson School of Business, and San Francisco State University Lam School of Business.
A ninth generation Californian, in her spare time, Clarice enjoys traveling, judging wine competitions and reaching back to mentor the future generation of leaders.