Suzi brings 25+ years of real-world industry experience to her clients. She recently served as SVP, Head of People at Wente Family Estates. Wente, The Wine Group (TWG), Peju, and Peter Michael Winery are clients as Suzi transitioned to founder and owner of SP, LLC.

During Suzi’s five-year tenure at Wente Family Estates she was responsible for the HR/People function. Suzi served as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. She is well-versed supporting a bilingual employee population and has extensive experience in hospitality and wine/spirits environments. Suzi implemented the foundational risk management strategies in the areas of safety, worker’s compensation, employee relations, benefits administration, and supported the successful re-structure of the company (i.e. the size and scale) to drive sustainable revenue.

Prior to Wente Family Estates, Suzi worked for the Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits (SGWS). During her 16-year tenure at SGWS, she grew from an individual contributor role to managing Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, and Diversity, Equity Inclusion & Belonging for the state of CA. Suzi’s last role with SGWS was part of the West Region’s Center Of Excellence (COE) in Oakland where she supported 6-states across the West Region.

As Suzi navigated her business trajectory, she continued her education and completed her master’s degree. Suzi’s Master’s is in Counseling, Psychology and Education (Santa Clara University). Suzi was awarded her PhD with distinction in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Suzi’s passion is structuring organizations for success and enabling strategy through maximizing human potential.

To access more details about my work experience and educational background – please review my LinkedIn Profile at the following: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzipotts/

As the Senior Director of Human Resources at Challenge Dairy Products, Inc., a cooperative association renowned for marketing and distributing dairy products from 450 large family-owned dairies, Michael brings extensive expertise to the realm of workforce planning and human resources activities. Overseeing a spectrum of crucial human resources functions at Challenge Dairy. These responsibilities span employee/labor relations, job classifications, compensation, benefits administration, payroll, recruitment and selection, employee evaluations, training and development, worker's compensation, safety, compliant investigations, coaching, counseling, and affirmative action. Successfully implemented the first Employee Survey, a pivotal initiative that led to the company's recognition as a Great Place to Work.

Prior to Challenge, Michael worked for See’s Candies as the Director of Human Resources where he oversaw and was accountable for all facets of See's Human Resources programs. This encompassed a broad spectrum, including performance evaluations, compensation and benefits, employee and labor relations, and performance management. His role went beyond supervision, extending into strategic leadership and development support for Human Resource Managers. This involved the establishment of individual long-range and short-range goals, training and development initiatives, and performance management strategies. His enterprise-wide responsibility spanned engagement, performance counseling, employee engagement, and executive coaching. In addition to day-to-day responsibilities, he took the lead on key projects within the organization. Notable projects included the implementation of Workday, refining onboarding processes, shaping recruiting strategies, defining compensation philosophies, and driving coaching and leadership development initiatives. Michael’s commitment to overseeing a comprehensive HR program, coupled with his strategic vision and project leadership, ensured that See's Human Resources functions operated at the forefront of industry standards.

Michael has also worked as the Human Resources Director for Cambridge Management Company, as a Human Resources Consultant, Vice President of Human Resources for Mission Rock Residential in Colorado and as the Senior Human Resources Manager for Ghirardelli Chocolate Company for 15 years.

Human Resources Forum Co-Chair

Human Resources Forum Co-Chair