RICK CARDENAS

PRESIDENT & CEO, DARDEN RESTAURANTS, ORLANDO

At the age of 16, Cardenas got his first job bussing tables at a Red Lobster in his hometown, Orlando. He worked there through college, using his wages to pay for tuition at the University of Central Florida, where he majored in accounting and finance. After college, he held several positions at Darden Restaurants until he was named its fourth CEO in 2022. Coming full circle, he’s now on UCF’s Board of Trustees. Darden, which dates to 1938, owns more than 1,900 restaurants, including the chains Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille and others. The company employs 190,000. In June, Cardenas told investors that the company was considering selling its Bahama Breeze restaurants, which are known for tropical drinks and Caribbean-inspired food.

EDUCATION: University of Central Florida (BA), Dartmouth College (MBA)