Becki Giese Director of Operations Olive Garden 

“Hiring the right people in the restaurant business can be tricky, because it’s perceived as an easy industry to get into.The fact is, however, that you have to enjoy working with the public and that’s not for everyone. As someone who makes hiring decisions, I have had to sharpen my intuition skills. One of the most helpful tools has been Darden’s Diversity Learning Experience.The course goes beyond gender and ethnic diversity to really teach you to appreciate many different types of personalities and to broaden your thinking about the role they can play in your restaurant operation.” 

Leadership Defined 

## Inspiration 

These days, few people are fortunate enough to find a company where they can envision spending their entire career. Becki Giese says she’s one of the lucky ones. In 1988, she started with the Olive Garden as a server, quickly advancing to certified trainer, a position that helped her pay her way through college. Upon graduation, Becki accepted a position with Olive Garden as a restaurant manager, and over the past 16 years she has steadily risen through the ranks. Today, Becki is a Houston-based director of operations, responsible for eight restau- rants, and readily says, “I hope to retire with Olive Garden – I can’t imagine finding a better place to work.” 

Longevity is a hallmark of Olive Garden. For two decades it has been America’s favorite family of Italian casual dining restaurants, and for 39 consecutive quarters it has posted same-restaurant sales growth on a year-over-year basis, a remarkable feat in the competitive casual dining segment. In fact, Olive Garden’s annual sales increased by 11.1 percent in fiscal 2004, with record total sales topping $2.2 bil- lion, and record annual operating profit. 

