Investor Relations

Director Since 1992

David Overton has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of The Cheesecake Factory since its incorporation in 1992. Mr. Overton co-founded the Company with his parents, Evelyn and Oscar Overton. Mr. Overton created the namesake concept and opened the first The Cheesecake Factory restaurant in 1978 in Beverly Hills, California. He grew The Cheesecake Factory^® into an international brand and created three other concepts, Grand Lux Cafe^®, RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen^® and Social Monk Asian Kitchen^TM. Under Mr. Overton’s leadership, revenues reached $2.3 billion in 2018, with The Cheesecake Factory leading the casual dining industry in average annual sales per restaurant of $10.7 million in fiscal 2018. Among Mr. Overton’s many professional honors, he has received the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association “Silver Plate Award,” recognizing the most outstanding and innovative talent in foodservice operations; the “Executive of the Year Award” from Restaurants & Institutions Magazine; the “MenuMasters Hall of Fame Award” and “Golden Chain Award” from Nation’s Restaurant News, for his outstanding contributions to menu design and foodservice research and development; the “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Food Services category for the Los Angeles region by Ernst & Young, for his demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in innovation, performance and personal commitment to The Cheesecake Factory and the communities the restaurants serve; and the “Leadership Roundtable Industry Leadership Award.” Mr. Overton is also one of the founding members and directors of The Cheesecake Factory Oscar and Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation (“Foundation”), a 501(c)(3) qualified, non-profit charitable organization which raises funds for a variety of worthy causes and provides a means for the Company’s approximately 38,700 staff members to perform charitable work in their communities.

Director Since 2016

Edie A. Ames brings over 32 years of restaurant industry experience across the casual dining, fastcasual and fine dining segments. Ms. Ames currently serves as President of Tastes on the Fly Airport Restaurant Group, a San Francisco-based company. Previously, she held numerous leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of The Pie Hole, a Los Angeles based fast casual dining restaurant. Previously, she held numerous leadership roles, including President of The Counter and BUILT^®Custom Burgers, Executive Vice President of Wolfgang Puck Catering, Chief Operating Officer of both Real Mex Restaurants and Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, and President of Morton’s Restaurant Group. Earlier in her career she spent 11 years at California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. where she held positions of increasing responsibility. Ms. Ames serves as a member of the Compensation Committee.

Director Since 2008

Alexander L. Cappello has led several public and private companies over the past 44 years, including Cappello Global, LLC, a global investment bank, whose principals have transacted business in over 50 countries. He is also a director of Virco Manufacturing Corporation (NASDAQ), California Ethanol & Power, Santa Maria Energy Holdings, LLC, Nano Financial Holdings, The Agnew Companies and Caldera Medical Corp. He is also an advisor to the board of Gusmer Enterprises. Mr. Cappello is a director of RAND Corporation’s Center for Middle East Public Policy, the Center for Global Risk and Security, and the RAND Russia Forum. Mr. Cappello is a former Chairman of Intelligent Energy, PLC (London), Inter Tel (NASDAQ), and Geothermal Resources Intl. (AMEX), and a former director of California Republic Bank. Mr. Cappello serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee.

Director Since 2021

Khanh “Connie” Collins currently serves as Senior Vice President of Thompson Hospitality Corporation, the largest minority-owned food service and facilities management company in the United States. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Thompson Hospitality’s restaurant and hotel brands. Previously, Ms. Collins held senior leadership positions in the casual and fine dining segments of the restaurant industry including Vice President of Operations and Global Training at The ONE Group/STK, Chief Operating Office of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, and various roles at McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. Ms. Collins is also an active member of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Director Since 2022

Adam S. Gordon serves as a managing director of Gordon Property Group, LLC, a real estate management and development company. In this role, he is in charge of marketing and strategic relationships for commercial buildings and other properties. Mr. Gordon also serves as President of ASG Global Entertainment, a production and marketing company he founded. Prior to establishing ASG Global Entertainment, Mr. Gordon held various roles of increasing responsibility with Sony Pictures International, most recently as Executive Director of Publicity leading publicity and awards campaigns.

Director Since 1997

Jerome I. Kransdorf has more than 45 years of investment management experience. Mr. Kransdorf retired in 2014 as President of JaK Direct, a division of Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. where he worked from 2001 to 2014. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Kransdorf served as Senior Vice President of J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated, an investment advisory firm. From 1959 to 1997, he was employed in investment and senior management positions at Wertheim & Co. and its successor companies. Mr. Kransdorf serves as the Lead Director, Chair of the Governance Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee.

Director Since 2020

Janice L. Meyer is the co-founder of Rellevant Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on lower middle-market restaurant and food & beverage companies. As a Managing Partner of the firm, Ms. Meyer is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the investment process, including analyzing, advising and monitoring portfolio companies. Prior to Rellevant Partners, Ms. Meyer had a 20-year career in sell-side research and investment banking covering the restaurant industry at Credit Suisse AG, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Morgan Stanley. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Tillster, Inc., a restaurant industry-focused technology company, is a Trustee of The Windward School and is a former board member of Chop’t Creative Salad Company. Ms. Meyer serves as a member of the Audit Committee.

Director Since 2012

Laurence B. Mindel has more than 45 years of experience as a restaurant creator, developer and operator and is currently the Managing Partner of Poggio Trattoria, an award-winning Italian restaurant, and Copita Tequileria Y Comida, a ‘‘modern’’ Mexican restaurant, both located in Sausalito and Convivo, a ‘‘nomad Italian’’ restaurant in Santa Barbara, California. In 1970, he co-founded Spectrum Foods whose restaurant portfolio included, among others, California-based restaurants Ciao, Prego, MacArthur Park, Guaymas and Harry’s Bar. Following the acquisition of Spectrum Foods by Saga Corp. (NYSE) in 1984, Mr. Mindel served as President of Saga’s restaurant group where he directed the operations of more than 200 restaurants with combined revenue of over $375 million. When Saga was acquired in 1986, Mr. Mindel founded Il Fornaio, a restaurant and bakery company which became public in 1997 (NASDAQ) and was subsequently taken private in 2001. His professional honors include Nation’s Restaurant News ‘‘Golden Chain’’ award, International Foodservice Manufacturers Association ‘‘Gold Plate’’ award, Food Arts Magazine ‘‘Silver Spoon’’ award, Leadership Roundtable Conference award for Distinguished & Exemplary Leadership in the Food Service Industry and, in 1998, he was inducted into the California Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame. In 1985, Mr. Mindel became the first American and the first person of non-Italian descent to be awarded the Caterina de Medici Medal from the Italian government, recognizing excellence in the preservation of Italian heritage outside of Italy. Mr. Mindel is a member of the Compensation and Governance Committees.

Director Since 2009

David B. Pittaway is Vice Chairman, Senior Managing Director, Senior Vice President and Secretary of Castle Harlan, Inc., a private equity firm. He has been with Castle Harlan since 1987. Mr. Pittaway also has served as a member of the board and Senior Managing Director of Branford Castle, Inc., an investment company, since October 1986. From 1987 to 1998, Mr. Pittaway was Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and a director of Branford Chain, Inc., a marine wholesale company, where he is now a director and Vice Chairman. Previously, Mr. Pittaway was Vice President of Strategic Planning and Assistant to the President of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., an investment banking firm. Mr. Pittaway is a member of the boards of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group (BRIO), Shelf Drilling, Inc., and the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association of America. He was formerly a director of Morton’s Restaurant Group and McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants. In addition, he is a director and co-founder of the Armed Forces Reserve Family Assistance Fund. Mr. Pittaway serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee.

Director Since 2011

Herbert Simon is the Chairman Emeritus of the board of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, Inc., a member of the S&P 500 and the largest U.S.A. publicly-traded real estate investment trust. Mr. Simon has served on its board since 1993. Throughout his career, Mr. Simon has maintained a leadership position within the retail property industry by developing high profile retail facilities, including, but not limited to, The Forum Shops at Caesars, Roosevelt Field in Long Island, and The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Additional diversified business interests beyond real estate include ownership of a National Basketball Association’s franchise, the Indiana Pacers. Mr. Simon also served as the former Chairman of the National Basketball Association’s Board of Governors and continues to serve as a member of such board. He is also active in numerous community and civic organizations. Mr. Simon serves as a member of the Compensation and Governance Committees.