Scott A. Dahnke

L Catterton - International Private Equity

Profile

Scott Dahnke is the Global co-Chief Executive Officer of L Catterton. With more than $33 billion of equity capital across its fund strategies and 17 offices around the world, L Catterton is the largest global consumer-focused private equity firm. Leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad strategic network of relationships, L Catterton’s team of nearly 200 investment, and operating professionals support management teams around the world in building strong, category-leading brands. Since 1989, the firm has made approximately 250 investments in consumer businesses.

Scott has spent the last 25 years in private equity and has led or co-led over 35 investments. His broader business experience includes private equity, consulting, management, and finance.

Before entering the investment arena, Scott was the CEO of Nasdaq-listed infoUSA (since taken private as “Data Axle”), a leading provider of business and consumer marketing products and services. He led the company to an unprecedented string of consecutive record quarters, growing the company’s market capitalization to roughly $1 billion and helping the company earn recognition as one of Forbes’ “Top 200 Small Companies in America.” Previously, Scott served consumer-focused clients on a wide array of strategic and operational matters as a Partner at McKinsey & Company. His early career also includes experience in the Merger Department of Goldman Sachs and internationally with General Motors.

Scott received a B.S., magna cum laude, in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He also earned academic honors while receiving an MBA from the Harvard Business School and completed the Executive Education Program at Stanford Law School’s Directors’ College. Scott has served as a National Judge for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award multiple times, has been quoted in numerous publications (including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Barron’s, and Forbes), and has lectured at Notre Dame and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Amongst other accolades, Scott was selected by the National Retail Federation as a “Power Player” in 2017.

Scott serves on numerous private company boards. In the public domain, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) and on the NYSE Board of Advisors. Scott also chairs the Provost’s Leadership Group and serves on the Advisory Council for the Student Athlete at the University of Notre Dame, is Chairman of the Investment Committee and a Trustee of Brunswick School, and a Trustee of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. He is also a founding member of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. He previously served in the not-for-profit arena as a board member of the American Red Cross of New York and the American Federation of Arts.