"The Florida Diversity Council’s vision is to transform our workplace communities into environments where people are valued for their uniqueness and differences, and are confident that their contributions matter. We aim to enhance the appreciation for and understanding of the value of diversity and inclusion. We will achieve success through promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and community, developing leaders who are educated and aware of all aspects of diversity and inclusion and championing programs that support diversity education and awareness."

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Sarah King was named Chief Human Resources Officer for Darden Restaurants in March 2017. A member of Darden’s Executive Team, she leads the execution of Darden’s people strategy as well as building organizational capability and employee culture to further enable Darden’s growth. She is also responsible for all aspects of the HR functions within Darden, including oversight of the HR organizations within each of Darden’s operating companies.

 

Darden owns and operates more than 1,700 Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V’s restaurants in North America, employing more than 180,000 people and serving nearly 390 million guests annually.

 

Prior to joining Darden, Sarah spent 19 years with Wyndham Worldwide Corporation where she worked closely with operators and executive leaders to execute successful people initiatives around the world. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President, Human Resources for Wyndham Vacation Ownership. In this role, Sarah was responsible for developing and rolling out the company’s people strategy, which focused on enhancing the culture to attract, engage and retain top talent.

 

A native of New Zealand, Sarah studied communications at the Auckland University of Technology.

 

King is a member of UCF Rosen’s Dean’s Advisory Board and serves as the board chair of the Florida Diversity Council. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Women’s Foodservice Forum. She is chair of the American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) AIF Education Committee and the ARDA WIN-Advantage Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. She has earned several honors including the National Association of Professional Women Award (2011) and the Glass Ceiling Award from the Florida Diversity Council (2013).