Hey everybody, it's Jeff Bennett and welcome to another episode of Settle In. Red Lobster CEO, Demola, Adamaliken, is one of the youngest leaders shaping the future of American dining. Before taking the helm at Red Lobster, Demola built his reputation in private equity and restaurant turnarounds. He previously served as CEO of P.F. Chang's, where he helped return that company to growth.

And now he's bringing that same turnaround expertise to Red Lobster. At a moment of real upheaval, the chain had faced headline-making challenges from bankruptcy and store closures

to shifting consumer habits to broader questions about the future of casual dining.

So he's stepping in with a mandate to stabilize the

business, to rethink the model and chart a new path forward. We talked about his own journey

and why he believes there's still a powerful future for the Red Lobster brand. So settle in

and enjoy my conversation with Demola Adama Laker. So to understand your work and your success,

I think it's helpful to understand your background.

So you grew up in Nigeria, moved to the U.S. when you were in elementary school.

How did that cross-cultural experience shape your worldview and your approach to leadership?

Yeah, it's a good question.

I think that, you know, growing up in very different countries with very different, you know, cultures and languages and sorts of people across Nigeria and Zimbabwe and Amsterdam and then finally in the U.S., you know, I think for me there's a lesson in adaptability, right, in being able to observe a new environment and find a way to thrive in that environment.

And I think also importantly, there's a lesson on despite how different people can be, what are the things that are similar across them, right?

You learn to read people and understand

psychologically and sociologically within groups, how people behave across cultures that are

similar and that are intrinsic to people, regardless of where you are and where you live.

So a lot of good, I think, life lessons for sure that have shaped my view on, you know, how I interact with people, being able to connect with many different types of people, different cultures, as well as, I think, a resilience and adaptability from living in all these different places.

So fast forward, you earned your MBA from Harvard. You spent time in investment banking, private equity.

What drew you to the world of hospitality?

You know, my initial interest in consumer retail came when I was in investment banking.

I actually had the option to work in the consumer retail group or in FIG when I got my first job out of Brown when I was 21 or 22 years old.

And for me, what I loved about the consumer retail space was just the tangibility of the

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