Other
Laura Williamson
Master Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Laura Williamson’s work reads like a disciplined service line: methodical, cumulative, and built to hold pressure. Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator credentials sit alongside a career that has moved across finance, strategy, and beverage leadership, with a range that runs from dining room operations to corporate decision-making. Before those titles took hold, time in Paris during her first two years of college, working as an au-pair for a diplomat family, added an early lesson in service, discretion, and adapting to exacting standards.
The Path
The first step in 1997 was supervisor of Sales Cash at Darden Restaurants, a role rooted in the daily mechanics of a major hospitality operation. From there, Red Lobster became the place where the work expanded in measured steps: analyst, then Sr. Analyst, then manager, then director. That sequence shows a career built through accumulation rather than sudden change, with each role carrying more responsibility for the numbers, the process, and the people behind the business. At Darden Restaurants, the scope widened into director of finance and strategy and later director of Corporate Analysis. Olive Garden added Senior Director of finance to the record, while Vice President, Account Services at Darden Restaurants extended that corporate reach further. Taken together, those roles point to a practitioner who understands hospitality as both service and system, where operational clarity matters as much as guest-facing polish. Beverage work has remained a constant thread. Until 2015, Laura Williamson served as Corporate Beverage Director at Jean-Georges Restaurants and also as Chef Sommelier at Jean-Georges in New York City, positions that placed wine work inside one of the field’s most scrutinized restaurant settings. She later became Beverage Director at Mandarin Oriental, New York in New York City from 2015, and also served as Consulting Beverage Director at Aman Resort, NYC in New York City. The throughline is control of program, standards, and execution, with beverage used as a structural part of hospitality rather than an accessory to it. Her executive portfolio continued to grow in parallel. Laura later served as Senior Vice President of finance at LongHorn Steakhouse until 2024, Senior Vice President of finance at Olive Garden, and today is director and owner of Unlock Your Palate, Inc. As well as president of LongHorn Steakhouse since 2024. Across those appointments, the emphasis stays on leadership shaped by operational fluency, where financial discipline and beverage knowledge sit in the same working frame.
The Work Today
Today, Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator designations sit alongside her current Jean-Georges roles: Corporate Beverage Director — Jean-Georges Restaurants, and Chef Sommelier — Jean-Georges (New York City). The combination marks a career grounded in technical wine knowledge and in the practical demands of hospitality service, where decisions have to land cleanly in front of guests and teams alike.
Acclaim
Laura's honors include Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Laura
What is Laura Williamson's current role?
As of 2026, Laura Williamson is Director and Owner of Unlock Your Palate, Inc.
Where did Laura Williamson work before?
Laura Williamson's earlier career included Darden Restaurants, Red Lobster, and Red Lobster.
What recognition has Laura Williamson received?
Master Sommelier.
