Red Lobster® President Named To Women's Foodservice Forum Board

Red Lobster Seafood Co. President Salli Setta has been named a board member of the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF), the food industry's premier leadership development organization. Setta, a 25-year veteran of the restaurant industry, was selected for her experience leading a globally recognized brand that is committed to supporting the advancement of women and will serve two three-year terms on WFF's board.

"I am honored by this appointment and am eager to begin working with my colleagues on the board to activate the WFF's mission of advancing women in the foodservice industry," Setta said. "Red Lobster, like the WFF, is committed to empowering women, providing them with skills and leadership development to help them further their professional careers."

Red Lobster has been recognized as an industry leader in female advancement in the workplace by having the highest female representation in restaurant management in casual dining, according to the People Report™, a widely used publication in the industry*. Red Lobster's rate of hiring and promoting female managers from within is also among the best in casual dining, and in 2015 the company was named to the Forbes® Best Employers List, which ranks companies based on the percent of employees who would recommend their employer to others.

Setta, who was named president of Red Lobster in 2013, leads all of Restaurant Operations, Marketing, and Culinary and Beverage for the iconic brand, which operates more than 700 restaurants in North America and has more than 58,000 employees. Under her leadership, Red Lobster introduced a new, simpler, seafood and lobster-centric menu and implemented numerous operations initiatives and simplifications that have led to best-ever levels of guest satisfaction and positive financial results. She was also part of the leadership team that helped Red Lobster become an independent, privately-held company, leading the organization through significant change.

Prior to being named president, Setta was the brand's Executive Vice President of Marketing for eight years, where she led a comprehensive brand refresh with its Today's Fresh Fish menu, Wood Fire Grill cooking platform and the well-received "Sea Food Differently®" advertising campaign. She began her restaurant career at Olive Garden and, during her 15-year tenure with the brand, served in numerous roles including Vice President of Brand Marketing and Senior Vice President of Culinary and Beverage.

Setta is the recipient of multiple industry awards and is a three-time Menu Masters Award winner for her work on initiatives like Red Lobster's Today's Fresh Fish Program and Menu Refresh. She holds a bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Central Florida, an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology, and is an alumna of the Women's Senior Leadership Program at the Kellogg School of Management.  She has served on the board of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lake Highland Preparatory School Board of Visitors and the Women's Food Service Forum Strategic Marketing Council.

*According to TD2NK, the organization that produces People Report™, the leading publication of key human resource statistics and workforce metrics for the restaurant industry. The report was issued after the third fiscal quarter of 2015.