"We also do not believe it is a coincidence that Darden announced that Mr. Otis is stepping down and that the Board has conceded three seats at this early stage of the proxy contest on the very day that the Company announced the closing of the irreversible and value-destroying Red Lobster sale," Starboard CEO Jeff Smith said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Mr. Otis leaving represents just one small step in the transformation that is urgently needed at Darden. To be clear, the Company still requires a major overhaul at the Board level. This Board has proven over an extended period of time that it is unable to respectfully and capably represent the best interests of the shareholders they were elected to represent and cannot be trusted to make the incredibly important decision as to the selection of the next CEO of Darden. There needs to be a true and complete process to vet both internal and external talent in order to find a truly great, transformational, operationally-focused restaurant leader."