Red Lobster’s new chief executive, Damola Adamolekun, says the surest way to cut through today’s anti-DEI noise in corporate America is old-fashioned excellence and focus.
In a recent interview with BET, the 34-year-old executive—who stepped in as CEO during the seafood giant’s Chapter 11 restructuring—urged young Black professionals to pour energy into what they can control: discipline, skill, and results.
His message arrives as Red Lobster experiences an unlikely pop-culture bump: TikTok creators rediscovered endless shrimp and Lobsterfest this summer, sparking meme-y affection for the chain even as dozens of locations closed in the wake of pandemic-era headwinds and intensifying casual-dining competition. The bankruptcy filing in May 2024 paved the way for a shake-up—and for Adamolekun, a turnaround specialist who previously led P.F. Chang’s through the height of COVID, to take the wheel.
Adamolekun’s appointment is symbolically significant. He’s the youngest CEO in the company’s history and one of the very few Black chief executives running a Fortune-scale enterprise at a moment when many big companies are retreating from public DEI commitments. He notes that Red Lobster’s founding culture—opening its doors in 1968 to guests and staff of every background—gives him a legacy to protect as he pushes the brand forward.
Born in Nigeria and raised in Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, Adamolekun moved to Springfield, Illinois, at nine. A $10,000 speech-contest win as a teenager seeded his interest in investing and “micro-ownership,” a philosophy he still champions. He argues that ownership—whether starting a business, investing in one, or earning equity through compensation—is the most durable path to wealth creation, particularly for Black families.
Representation at the top remains thin: by the latest count, only a handful of Fortune 500 companies are led by Black CEOs. Adamolekun is clear-eyed about the optics but refuses to be distracted. Paraphrasing advice from his physician father, he says the playbook hasn’t changed—be the best at the thing you do, and the rest follows.
As Red Lobster claws back market share, he’s betting that a blend of rigor, hospitality, and inclusive culture will be the company’s winning recipe.
