Darden Restaurants Reports 2026 Annual Meeting Vote Results

What Happened

• Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) filed an 8-K on September 24, 2026 reporting final certified voting results from its online Annual Meeting held September 23, 2026. The inspector of election certified the results on September 24, 2026.
• Shareholders elected nine directors to serve until the next annual meeting, gave advisory approval to the company's executive compensation, ratified KPMG LLP as Darden’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2027, and rejected a shareholder proposal on a policy for review of low director support.

Key Details

• Directors elected (For / Withheld; Broker Non‑Vote = 10,017,803 for each):
  • Margaret Shân Atkins: 89,043,572 For; 3,172,535 Withheld
  • Ricardo Cardenas: 90,549,001 For; 1,667,106 Withheld
  • Juliana L. Chugg: 89,309,020 For; 2,907,087 Withheld
  • James P. Fogarty: 89,551,154 For; 2,664,953 Withheld
  • Cynthia T. Jamison: 87,870,732 For; 4,345,375 Withheld
  • Daryl A. Kenningham: 91,358,338 For; 857,769 Withheld
  • William S. Simon: 89,051,589 For; 3,164,518 Withheld
  • Charles M. Sonsteby: 89,253,651 For; 2,962,456 Withheld
  • Timothy J. Wilmott: 90,345,931 For; 1,870,176 Withheld
• Advisory vote on executive compensation ("say-on-pay"): Approved — 83,666,042 For; 8,332,392 Against; 217,673 Abstain; Broker Non‑Vote 10,017,803.
• Ratification of independent auditor (KPMG LLP) for fiscal year ending May 30, 2027: Approved — 96,586,896 For; 5,594,908 Against; 52,106 Abstain.
• Shareholder proposal on adopting a policy for review of low director support: Not approved — 2,710,897 For; 88,893,049 Against; 612,161 Abstain; Broker Non‑Vote 10,017,803.

Why It Matters

• The election results confirm continuity of Darden’s board leadership and governance direction through the next year. Investors can view the strong majority support for most nominees as a vote of confidence in current management and strategy.
• Approval of the advisory executive compensation vote means shareholders gave a non-binding endorsement of the company’s pay practices for executives. Ratification of KPMG ensures continuity in audit oversight for the coming fiscal year.
• The decisive rejection of the shareholder proposal shows investors did not support changing the company’s policy on reviewing directors who receive low shareholder support. This is a governance outcome investors may consider when assessing future proxy proposals or board accountability.