Damola Adamolekun

Damola Adamolekun is a globally recognized business leader and dynamic speaker whose journey from Nigeria to the boardrooms of America embodies resilience, excellence, and bold leadership.

At just 36 years old, Damola is the Chief Executive Officer of Red Lobster, the world’s largest seafood restaurant company, where he leads the iconic brand’s transformation for a new generation. He is the youngest CEO in Red Lobster’s history and was previously the youngest CEO in the history of P.F. Chang’s, where he steered the company through the pandemic and revitalized one of America’s most beloved Asian dining brands.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential executives of his generation, Damola was named to Fortune’s “100 Most Powerful People in Business” and has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, and the Harvard Business Review, among others.

Born in Nigeria and raised across Africa, Europe, and the United States, Damola’s story is one of grit, global perspective, and relentless pursuit of excellence. His journey—from Ivy League football fields to Wall Street trading floors to the C-suites of billion-dollar companies—fuels his belief that success is built on discipline, action, and the habit of excellence.

As a speaker, Damola is known for his dynamic, high-energy delivery and transformative insights on leadership, innovation, and perseverance. Whether addressing corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, or students, he challenges audiences to think bigger, move faster, and lead with clarity and conviction.

Before joining Red Lobster, Damola was a Partner at Paulson & Co., where he led several of the firm’s largest investments, and later served as CEO and Director of P.F. Chang’s. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in investment banking and later at TPG Capital in private equity.

Damola has been honored with multiple GLOBEE Leadership Awards, including CEO of the Year: Food & Beverage and Transformational Leader of the Year, as well as inclusion on Nation’s Restaurant News’ Power List and the EBONY Power 100.

A graduate of Brown University, where he studied Economics and Political Science and played on the Ivy League Champion football team, Damola also earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Damola shares his message of purpose, discipline, and transformation with audiences around the world—showing that greatness isn’t inherited, it’s built through action.