A 25-year-old was behind the epic presentation on Darden Restaurants — the parent company of Olive Garden, Business Insider has learned.
On Friday, Starboard Value LP, which is run by activist investor Jeff Smith, released a 294-page deep-dive report into Olive Garden's business.
We're told by two people that Wes Calvert, a 25-year-old associate at Starboard Value, played a major role in putting together the presentation.
One value investor told us his presentation was "one of the best ever."
Calvert's slide-deck, which includes recommendations on how Olive Garden can fix its breadstick strategy and improve its pasta quality by cooking with salt, has been widely discussed on Wall Street. Business Insider's Joe Weisenthal called it a "true masterpiece."
We reached out to Calvert and Smith for comment. Neither has responded.
Calvert joined Starboard Value in February. He previously worked at Credit Suisse, his LinkedIn profile shows.
He graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 2012.