Diane Plese: The Life of Canadian Optometrist and Robert Herjavec’s First Wife

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist who became widely known through her long marriage to businessman and television personality Robert Herjavec. While many people recognize her for her connection to the Shark Tank investor, her own story began long before the public associated her with business success and television fame. She built an independent career in eye care, supported her family during the early years of Robert’s entrepreneurial journey, and later devoted much of her time to raising their three children.

Unlike many people connected to well-known public figures, Diane has always chosen a quiet and private life. She has rarely spoken publicly about her personal experiences, even during the highly publicized end of her marriage. That decision has kept public interest in her life alive for years because she became widely recognized without ever trying to build a celebrity profile of her own. This article explores Diane Plese’s early life, education, career as an optometrist, relationship with Robert Herjavec, family life, divorce, life after separation, and the lasting interest in her story.

Quick Bio

Early Life and Family Background

Diane Plese was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in a family with Croatian roots. Her parents brought with them traditions that placed strong value on education, respect, discipline, hard work, and close family relationships. Those values became an important part of Diane’s upbringing and continued to shape the way she approached both her professional and personal life. From an early age, she preferred a quiet lifestyle and avoided unnecessary attention, a quality that stayed with her even after she became connected to one of Canada’s best-known entrepreneurs.

Her childhood remained largely private, and she never built a public image around her early years. Instead, she focused on learning and preparing for a professional future in health care. Growing up in a supportive family environment encouraged responsibility, patience, and independence, qualities that later became closely associated with her work as an optometrist, her role as a mother, and her preference for living away from the public spotlight.

Education and Optometry Career

Diane chose a career in health care because she was interested in science and wanted a profession that let her help people directly. She completed the education and professional training required to become a licensed optometrist in Canada, establishing her career before meeting Robert Herjavec. Her work involved examining patients, helping people care for their vision, and building an independent professional identity through her own knowledge and experience rather than public recognition.

Known for her calm personality and professional approach, Diane earned respect through her work with patients and built a reputation for providing thoughtful and dependable eye care. Early in her marriage, she worked full-time as an optometrist and provided steady financial support while Robert was still building his business career. After becoming a mother, she gradually reduced her working hours and eventually stepped away from paid practice around 2003 to focus on raising the couple’s children and managing family responsibilities. That career decision later became an important part of the legal discussions surrounding the couple’s divorce because it affected her long-term earning capacity.

How Diane Plese Met Robert Herjavec

Diane Plese first met Robert Herjavec in 1988 during an eye appointment. Robert visited the clinic where Diane was practicing optometry, and what began as a routine professional meeting gradually grew into a personal relationship. At that stage, Robert was still working toward his business goals and had not yet become a familiar face on television. Over time, their shared conversations and similar outlook on family strengthened their relationship before they decided to marry in 1990.

The couple also shared Croatian family roots, giving them similar cultural traditions and values that helped them understand one another from the beginning. Diane’s stable professional career supported Robert while he worked to establish himself in the technology industry.  Those early years built a strong foundation of mutual respect and shared goals, laying the groundwork for a marriage that lasted more than two decades.

Who Is Robert Herjavec?

Robert Herjavec is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, and television personality best known for his role on Shark Tank and the Canadian business program Dragons’ Den. Born in Croatia, he immigrated to Canada with his family as a child and later built a successful career in technology and cybersecurity. His business achievements include founding BRAK Systems, which was sold to AT&T Canada in 2000, and later establishing The Herjavec Group, a cybersecurity company that helped make him one of Canada’s most recognized business leaders.

Robert’s television career introduced him to audiences around the world, but his years with Diane began long before that success. They married while he was still developing his business career, and Diane witnessed his journey from a young entrepreneur to an internationally recognized businessman and investor. Their relationship became an important part of his personal story long before he gained worldwide recognition through television.

Marriage and Family Life

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec married in 1990 after dating for about two years. Their relationship began before Robert became a successful entrepreneur and television personality, so the early years of their marriage focused on shared goals rather than public attention. Diane continued working as an optometrist while Robert devoted his time to growing his career in the technology industry. Together, they built their life through teamwork, mutual support, and a shared commitment to family. Those years laid the foundation for later success as Robert’s businesses continued to expand.

As Robert’s career developed, the couple enjoyed greater financial stability and built a comfortable family life in the Toronto area. Diane gradually shifted more of her attention toward their home and children, creating a stable environment while Robert’s work demanded longer hours and frequent travel. Although Robert’s public profile continued to grow through his business achievements and television appearances, Diane preferred to remain out of the spotlight. She focused on her family instead of public recognition, allowing Robert to concentrate on his rapidly growing career.

Diane Plese’s Children

Diane and Robert have three children: Brendan, Skye, and Caprice Herjavec. Becoming a mother changed Diane’s daily priorities, and she worked hard to create a warm and supportive home where education, respect, kindness, and responsibility were part of everyday family life. Even as Robert became more widely known, she tried to give their children a normal upbringing by keeping family life as private and stable as possible.

As adults, all three children have largely stayed away from the spotlight. Brendan has followed a path in business and strategy, while Skye has gained experience in business and finance. Caprice has also established her own professional career after completing her education. Like their mother, they have generally preferred to keep their personal lives private, making only occasional public appearances.

Life During Robert Herjavec’s Rise to Fame

Robert’s career changed dramatically as his technology companies expanded and he became a familiar face through Dragons’ Den and later Shark Tank. Business meetings, travel, television recordings, and public appearances became a regular part of his schedule. During this period, Diane managed many of the family’s day-to-day responsibilities, helping maintain a steady home life while Robert focused on growing his companies and meeting increasing professional demands.

As Robert’s success continued, Diane took on an even bigger behind-the-scenes role, managing the household and supporting the family’s daily routine. Her decision to reduce her workload and later step away from her professional career allowed her to spend more time raising their children and creating a stable home environment. Although the family’s lifestyle changed as Robert’s career advanced, Diane remained committed to privacy and avoided becoming part of the celebrity world surrounding her husband.

Over time, Robert’s expanding career naturally brought changes to family life. Longer work commitments, business travel, and television responsibilities meant the couple spent less time together than they had during the early years of their marriage. While Robert’s public profile continued to grow, Diane remained focused on family life, providing stability during a period of significant change.

Marriage Challenges and Separation

After more than two decades of marriage, Diane and Robert began facing personal challenges that gradually affected their relationship. As Robert’s business responsibilities and television career expanded, the couple found themselves living increasingly different daily lives. Frequent travel, demanding work schedules, and less time together slowly created emotional distance, making it harder to maintain the close partnership they had built in their early years together.

In July 2014, the couple separated after approximately twenty-four years of marriage. Their separation attracted widespread media attention because Robert had become one of Canada’s best-known entrepreneurs and television personalities. Although the end of the marriage became public, Diane chose not to discuss the details in interviews or on social media. Instead, she stayed focused on her family and handled the situation with the same quiet, private approach that had defined much of her life.

The legal process that followed brought their marriage to an official end in 2016. Even during this difficult period, Diane avoided public debates and media attention, choosing dignity and privacy over public discussion. Her response reflected the calm and reserved personality that had remained consistent throughout her personal life and professional career.

Divorce and Settlement

Diane Plese filed for divorce in 2015 after the couple separated the previous year, and the legal process ended in 2016. Because Robert Herjavec became a well-known entrepreneur and television personality, the case drew widespread public attention. The court considered the length of their marriage, Diane’s years as the primary caregiver for their children, and the impact of leaving her optometry career on her future earning capacity. Those factors played an important role in shaping the financial arrangements that followed the end of the marriage.

The settlement provided Diane with long-term financial security after more than two decades of marriage. Along with financial assets and spousal support, the court recognized her contribution in raising the family and managing the household while Robert’s business career continued to grow. The outcome reflected both her years of professional work before leaving her career and the responsibilities she accepted at home after becoming a full-time parent.

Diane Plese’s Life After Divorce

After the divorce, Diane returned to the quiet lifestyle she had always preferred. Unlike many people connected with famous public figures, she did not pursue television appearances, interviews, or public attention. She has remained out of the spotlight and has continued living privately, staying consistent with the approach she followed long before she became publicly known.

Her attention has remained centered on family and personal well-being. While Robert continued expanding his business activities and television career, Diane quietly moved forward with her own life away from public discussion. She has never attempted to build a celebrity profile, and that decision has remained a defining feature of her life after the divorce.

Where Is Diane Plese Now?

Diane Plese continues to live a private life away from media attention. She keeps her daily activities out of public view and does not maintain a widely recognized public presence on social media. Rather than returning to the spotlight created by her former marriage, she has continued to choose privacy and independence.

Although interest in her life remains strong, very little is publicly known about her current routine because she has consistently protected her personal life. Her preference for staying out of the public eye has remained unchanged over the years, making her one of the few people connected to a well-known television personality who has never tried to build a public image of her own.

Diane Plese’s Net Worth

Diane Plese’s financial position has often attracted public interest because of her successful career as an optometrist and the settlement she received in her divorce. While different estimates of her net worth have appeared over the years, no official figure has been publicly confirmed. The outcome of the divorce provided lasting financial stability after a marriage that spanned more than two decades.

Her financial story goes beyond the divorce. Before focusing on family life, Diane built an independent career in eye care and earned her own income through her profession. The financial arrangements that followed the divorce, along with the years she spent contributing to both her career and her family, have allowed her to maintain the private and comfortable lifestyle she continues to value.

Legacy and Public Interest

Diane Plese remains a person of public interest because her story extends far beyond her role as the former wife of a successful businessman. Before becoming connected with Robert Herjavec’s public career, she had already established herself as an optometrist and built a respected professional life. She later chose to place her family first, stepping away from her career to raise three children while supporting her husband’s growing business journey behind the scenes.

Even years after the divorce, Diane continues to attract attention because she never sought fame or attempted to turn public interest into a celebrity career. Instead, she has remained known for her professionalism, dedication to family, and commitment to privacy. Her life reflects resilience, quiet confidence, and the ability to move forward with dignity while remaining true to the values that shaped her from an early age.

Conclusion

Diane Plese’s life brings together professional achievement, family commitment, and personal resilience. She established herself as a Canadian optometrist before marrying Robert Herjavec and played an important role during the years when his business career grew into international success. While Robert became a familiar face in business and television, Diane focused on creating a stable home, raising their three children, and supporting her family through life’s changing stages.

Although the end of her marriage drew widespread public attention, Diane chose a different path from many people connected to celebrities. She stepped away from the spotlight and continued living according to the values that had guided her for many years. Today, she is remembered not only as Robert Herjavec’s first wife but also as a dedicated health-care professional, a devoted mother, and a private individual whose quiet strength continues to make her story meaningful.

Read About: Judy Stewart-Merrill