Darden Restaurants Shareholders Elect Board, Reject Disclosure Proposal

Darden Restaurants shareholders elected all nine nominees to the company’s board of directors and approved each management proposal presented at the company’s 2026 annual meeting, according to preliminary voting results announced during the virtual event. Chair Cindy Jamison said the company again held the annual meeting virtually, citing the format’s popularity and accessibility. Shareholders representing approximately 90.04% of Darden’s common stock outstanding and eligible to vote as of the July 29, 2026 record date were represented by proxy, establishing a quorum for the meeting.

The directors elected were Shannon Atkins, Rick Cardenas, Juliana Chugg, James P. Fogarty, Daryl Kenningham, William S. Simon, Charles M. Sonsteby, Tim J. Wilmott and Jamison.

Shareholders rejected a proposal submitted by The Accountability Board that asked Darden’s board to adopt a policy requiring it to review and disclose findings when a director receives less than 80% support in an uncontested election.

Koren said the preliminary results were certified by Peter Descovich of IVS Associates Inc., an affiliate of Broadridge Financial Solutions, who served as inspector of elections. The final certificate will be filed with the meeting minutes, while final voting results are expected to be included in a Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

During the meeting, Koren reminded attendees that Darden planned to release its fiscal 2027 first-quarter financial results before the market opened the following day, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. She noted that President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Cardenas would not address those results during the annual meeting.