Damola Adamolekun

Damola Adamolekun is the Chief Executive Officer of the global restaurant chain Red Lobster where he leads the company in strategic initiatives ensuring the continued growth and success of one of the most well-known hospitality brands in the world.

Previously, Adamolekun served as Chief Executive Officer of P.F. Chang's and as a Partner at Paulson & Co., a New York-based investment firm and the principal owner of P.F. Chang’s, where he played a vital role in the sourcing and subsequent management of several of the firm’s largest investments. Adamolekun has also served as an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners.

Adamolekun has been featured in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider, Fox Business, Bloomberg News, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, Nation’s Restaurant News, Time Out New York, New York Business Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

Previously, Adamolekun has worked in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs and as a Private Equity Associate at TPG Capital. He has served on the board of P.F. Chang’s, Inday, the National Restaurant Association, and International Tower Hill Mines, and as a Board Observer for Bausch Health Companies.

In 2021, Adamolekun was recognized with three GLOBEE Leadership Gold awards for CEO of the Year: Food and Beverage, CEO of the Year: Hospitality, Travel, Recreation, Leisure, and Top CEO of the Year: The Rising Star, as well as a GLOBEE Leadership Silver award for CEO Achievers: Transformational Leader of the Year. In 2022, he was named in Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List among the most innovative and inspiring leaders in the restaurant industry.

Adamolekun received a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.