Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) said it has elected Chief Executive Officer Eugene Lee, Jr. as Chairman of the Board, succeeding Charles Sonsteby, effective January 4, 2021.
Sonsteby will become the Board's Lead Independent Director.
Lee became chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors in 2015.
Additionally, Ricardo Cardenas has been named President and Chief Operating Officer. Cardenas has served as Darden's Chief Financial Officer since 2016.
Darden has appointed Rajesh Vennam as Chief Financial Officer. Vennam began his career at Darden in 2003 as a Sr. Business Analyst for Market Development. In 2013, Vennam joined Red Lobster as a Sr. Director and progressed to Senior Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis and Treasury. He returned to Darden in 2016 as Senior Vice President, Finance & Analytics, assuming additional responsibilities as Treasurer in 2020.
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