Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> February 27, 2002
JOE R. LEE was named Chairman and CEO of Darden Restaurants,
Inc., on May 29, 1995. In December 1994, he had been named
President and CEO of General Mills Restaurants, Inc., with the
announcement that General Mills, Inc., would separate into two
public companies effective June 1995. Mr. Lee was elected a Vice
Chairman of General Mills in April 1992. Mr. Lee began his
business career in 1967, when he joined the founding team of Red
Lobster. He was manager of the first Red Lobster, which opened in
Lakeland, Florida, in 1968. In June 1972 he was named President
and CEO of Red Lobster. In March 1976, Mr. Lee was elected Vice
President of General Mills, Inc. In January 1979, he was elected
President of General Mills Restaurants, a position in which he
was responsible for all of General Mills' restaurant operations,
which now include Red Lobster and The Olive Garden. In December
1980, he became Executive Vice President of General Mills and in
September 1985, he was elected to the corporation's Board of
Directors. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors
of Tupperware, Inc. In May 1994, Mr. Lee received the degree of
Doctor of Business Administration in Foodservice Management
Honoris Causea from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island,
and in May 1995 he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree
from St. Leo College in Florida. Profile
CLARENCE OTIS, JR., is Darden's Chief Financial Officer. He joined the
company as Vice President and Treasurer in July 1995, was promoted to
Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasurer in July 1997,
and became Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, in December
1999. Prior to joining Darden, Mr. Otis was co-head of the Municipal
Securities Group of Chemical Banking Corporation (now JP Morgan Chase),
and Manager of the Group's Public Finance Department. He joined Chemical
in March 1991 and also chaired its Diversity Advisory Council. He was a
Managing Director of Siebert Municipal Capital Group, the municipal
securities division of Muriel Siebert & Company, Inc. From 1987-1990, he
was Vice President in the Public Finance Department of Credit Suisse
First Boston. Mr. Otis began his public finance career in 1984 at
Kidder, Peabody & Company, Inc., after a four-year career as a
securities lawyer in New York City. Mr. Otis received his JD from
Stanford Law School in 1980. He earned his BA, magna cum laude, in 1977
from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he was also
Phi Beta Kappa. Profile
evolution of Darden Restaurants, Inc.?
Mr. Lee: Darden Restaurants is a company that has a long history. Bill
Darden founded
