Orlando, Fla. — Darden Restaurants, Inc. has announced that Eugene (Gene) I. Lee, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, will retire as CEO effective May 29, 2022. Lee will continue to serve on Darden’s board of directors as executive chairman until the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. At that time, Lee is expected to stand for re-election to the board and continue to serve as chairman in a non-executive capacity. The board has unanimously elected Ricardo (Rick) Cardenas, Darden’s current president and chief operating officer, as chief executive officer, as …
