GENE LEE

PRESIDENT & CEO, DARDEN RESTAURANTS, ORLANDO

Darden operates a range of restaurants, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V’s. The company employs 185,000 in more than 1,800 restaurants in communities across North America. Lee grew up in Massachusetts, and his first job was as a busser at York Steakhouse when he was 16. With an MBA from Suffolk University, he’s never held a job outside the restaurant industry and has been with Darden for 13 years, with the last six as president and CEO. In 2018, Lee received the Gold Plate Award for industry excellence from the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, which is widely regarded as the foodservice industry’s top honor. He’s particularly proud of Darden’s financial support of Feeding America, “in addition to the in-kind support we provide to food banks, shelters and other charitable organizations across the country. Through our Harvest program, every one of our 1,800-plus restaurants donates unused food each week that is served to those in need.”