Executive Overview Joe Lee has been CEO and chairman of the board of Darden Restaurants, Inc., since it was spun off as a separate company from General Mills in 1995. Prior to that he was on the board of directors for General Mills, where he served as vice chairman. Joe began his career in the restaurant industry in 1967 as a team member in the original Red Lobster working for his mentor, the namesake of Darden Restaurants and the founder of the Red Lobster concept, Bill Darden. Bed Lobster was acquired by General Mills in 1970, and Joe became president of Red Lobster in 1975. He served as president of the National Restaurant Association and has received numerous awards including the food industry's highest award, the Golden Plate, in 1995. Darden is the largest casual-dining restaurant company in the world, serving over 300 million meals annually in 1,200 company-owned restaurants across the United States and Canada. Since it separated from General Mills, Darden has grown under Joe's leadership approximately 7% annually. Total sales for Darden's fiscal 2001 exceeded $4 billion in the over $45 billion casual-dining sector of the restaurant industry. Both Darden and this sector are growing at a 6–8% annual rate. Darden, based in Orlando, Florida, employs more than 128,000 people. Its restaurant brands include Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, and Smokey Bones BBQ Sports Bar. It has been on Fortune's list of America's Best Companies for Minorities for three consecutive years. Because Darden purchases over 100 million pounds of seafood annually, it has a unique interest in wild-caught and sustainable aquaculture resources. Several years ago the Darden Environmental Trust was established to help countries throughout the world better manage their wild-caught and sustainable natural resources.