Mark Vernon - Chairman of the Board

Joined Ridge in 1998

Mark joined Ridge in 1998 as General Manager and became President & Chief Operating Officer in 2001. In 2016, Mark became President & CEO. He retired from this role in 2026 and is now Board Chairman. Mark remains focused on ensuring Ridge continues its tradition of producing exceptional single-vineyard wines while at the same time ensuring its financial success. Mark is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley where he earned a B.A. in Economics. After graduating from Berkeley he continued on to MIT and earned an M.S. in Management from the school’s Sloan School of Management.

Prior to joining Ridge, Mark was CEO of two successful Silicon Valley software companies. A native Californian, Mark grew up in Palo Alto and became passionate about fine wine as a young adult. He will always remember his first trip up Monte Bello road to taste wine at Ridge and enjoy a picnic lunch there with friends on a beautiful summer afternoon.