Keynote Speaker

A Fireside Chat | Tuesday, April 8, 2025 | 11:00 AM

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

Previously Mr. 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. Mr. Adamolekun has also served as an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners.

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

Mr. Adamolekun was named to Fortune’s inaugural list of the 100 most powerful business leaders in America in 2024 as well as Black Enterprise’s 40 Under 40 list. In 2022 he was named in Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List among the most innovative and inspiring leaders in the restaurant industry, while in 2021, he 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.

Mr. Adamolekun received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Brown University, where he served as President of the Brown Investment Group and was a member of the Ivy League champion Brown Football team, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, where he served as Portfolio Manager for the HBS Investment Club.