Lee took over as interim CEO in October, replacing Clarence Otis, who stepped down amid pressure from activist investors Starboard Value and Barington Capital Group. Starboard, which was Darden's largest shareholder as of Dec. 31 with a 9.38 percent stake, replaced the restaurant company's board in October after a months-long fight. Starboard launched the fight in May after Darden said it would sell its Red Lobster chain to Golden Gate Capital in a $2.1 billion deal, which Starboard called a "destructive" transaction" that ignored shareholders' rights.