Clarence Otis

CLARENCE OTIS, JR., is Darden’s Chief Financial Officer. He joined the
company as Vice President and Treasurer in July 1995, was promoted to
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasurer in July 1997,
and became Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, in December
1999. Prior to joining Darden, Mr. Otis was co-head of the Municipal
Securities Group of Chemical Banking Corporation (now JP Morgan Chase),
and Manager of the Group’s Public Finance Department. He joined Chemical
in March 1991 and also chaired its Diversity Advisory Council. He was a
Managing Director of Siebert Municipal Capital Group, the municipal
securities division of Muriel Siebert & Company, Inc. From 1987-1990, he
was Vice President in the Public Finance Department of Credit Suisse
First Boston. Mr. Otis began his public finance career in 1984 at
Kidder, Peabody & Company, Inc., after a four-year career as a
securities lawyer in New York City. Mr. Otis received his JD from
Stanford Law School in 1980. He earned his BA, magna cum laude, in 1977
from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he was also
Phi Beta Kappa.