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Month: September 2023

Red Lobster taps longtime executive for long vacant CEO post

Red Lobster taps longtime executive for long vacant CEO post

After nearly a year and a half without a CEO, Orlando-based Red Lobster has gone with an internal hire for its top executive.

Horace Dawson, the seafood restaurant chain’s executive vice president and general counsel since 2014, was revealed as CEO on Thursday.

His other previous experience includes working as vice president and division general counsel for Orlando-based Darden Restaurants and vice president of business affairs and general counsel of Hard Rock Cafe International, according to a news release.

“This is an important time for our brand. We are continuing to evolve our menu and guest experience to give our guests more of what they want every time they visit one of our restaurants,” Dawson said in the release. “We have some of the most passionate customers and dedicated employees in the restaurant industry and I am looking forward to working with my teams to address the challenges we face in light of industry headwinds and to execute on our plans and deliver results.”

The CEO post has been vacant since Kelli Valade resigned in April 2022 after just eight months on the job. She had replaced the brand’s longtime leader Kim Lopdrup after he retired in August 2021.  read more