Lionel Trudel
Darryl Brooker
OCP Appoints Darryl Brooker as CEO
Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland has appointed veteran winemaker Darryl Brooker as its new CEO.
Brooker takes over the top role at OCP, which was previously held by the winery founders Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie. The founders view the appointment of a CEO as a key part of their succession plan, as they turn their attention to the next phase of their company.
“Steve and I had come to a critical point: plan to sell, or develop a dynamic succession plan. It’s evident that we chose the latter by bringing Darryl into our wine family,” says Coletta. “We are excited to drive forward doing what we love, and with Darryl’s help build a stronger wine culture in our business and provide key support for Matt and Duncan, replacing our reliance on outside consultants. I’m confident that I speak on behalf of the entire BC wine industry in welcoming Darryl back. His talent and vast experience is rare in our field,” she added, “and we all felt the loss when he briefly departed to a different industry.”
Brooker holds degrees or diplomas from the Wine Executive Program at University of California Davis (2018), the University of Adelaide, and Charles Sturt University, Australia. He’s held senior roles at Cedar Creek Estate Winery and with Andrew Peller, among others.
“I always had in the back of my mind that I would work in the wine industry again,” says Brooker. “I didn’t feel my story had finished and I know I still have a lot more to give to BC and Canadian wine. It just had to be a winery that I truly believed in the vision and potential. OCP, Christine, Steve, Matt, and the entire team have impressed me since the beginning.”
