Orlando, Fla. (March 14, 2022) – Red Lobster® announced David Schmidt will join its Senior Leadership Team as Chief Financial Officer. Schmidt comes to Red Lobster from Bloomin’ Brands where he has served as Group Vice President and CFO of Casual Dining Brands since 2019.

“Growing up in Minnesota, the place to go for great seafood and to celebrate life’s big events was always Red Lobster, including my own high school and college graduation celebrations,” said Schmidt. “Today, I’m honored to join this incredible team and iconic brand, and I look forward to being a part of its continued success.” 

Schmidt is a seasoned restaurant executive and proven leader with over 30 years of progressive experience in finance, operations and accounting. He has spent the last 16 years at Bloomin’ Brands in a variety of roles, most recently overseeing the Finance, Analytics and Consumer Insights teams for the Casual Dining Restaurant Portfolio. He previously served as President of Bonefish Grill, where he led the brand’s revitalization with a relentless focus on operational excellence and a superior guest experience while also establishing a track record of simplifying and standardizing operating processes that generate meaningful margin improvement. Prior to his work at Bloomin’ Brands, Schmidt was Controller / Vice President of Financial Planning Reporting and Analysis at Avado Brands, Inc and Manager of Franchise Finance at Denny’s. He began his career in Public Accounting.

“David has a deep understanding of our business and is clearly passionate about our industry, having spent almost his entire career in hospitality,” said Kelli Valade, CEO, Red Lobster. “We have continued to focus on building an unstoppable team of expert leaders at Red Lobster, and David certainly has deep experience and leadership skills, which is why I am so excited to have him join us in the CFO role.”

Schmidt received his BA in Accounting with a minor in Economics from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

About Red Lobster Seafood Co.

Red Lobster is the world's largest and most-loved seafood restaurant company, headquartered in Orlando, Fla. With a proud heritage and an even brighter future, Red Lobster is focused on serving the highest quality, freshly prepared seafood that is traceable, sustainable and responsibly-sourced. To learn more about Red Lobster’s sourcing standards and where the seafood we serve comes from, please visit www.redlobster.com/seafoodwithstandards. Red Lobster is also proud to be an employer of choice, including in 2022, for the second consecutive year, being named to Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Best Large Employers. To learn more about Red Lobster, including locations and menu options, please visit http://www.redlobster.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.