# Scott Dahnke

> Scott Arnold Dahnke is the Global CEO of L Catterton and board chair of Williams-Sonoma. A Notre Dame engineering graduate with a Harvard MBA, he previously worked at McKinsey, led InfoUSA and invested at AEA Investors and Deutsche Bank Capital Partners before joining Catterton in 2003. His public investment commentary emphasizes consumer understanding, operating capabilities and collaborative partnerships.

- **Role:** Global CEO at L Catterton
- **Organizations:** L Catterton, Williams-Sonoma, University of Notre Dame, Brunswick School, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, New York Stock Exchange, McKinsey & Company, InfoUSA (now Data Axle), AEA Investors, Deutsche Bank Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs, General Motors
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, magna cum laude, University of Notre Dame, MBA, academic honors, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** NRF recognized Dahnke as a Power Player for 2017., Helped lead L Catterton at its 2016 formation., A 2020 Leslie’s filing credited him with more than 30 investments.

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Graduated from Notre Dame with an engineering degree.
- **1991** — Earned Harvard MBA; began the 1991-1997 period at McKinsey, becoming a partner.
- **1997-1998** — CEO of InfoUSA, now Data Axle.
- **1998-2002** — Managing director at AEA Investors, leading consumer-sector investing.
- **2002-2003** — Managing director at Deutsche Bank Capital Partners.
- **2003** — Joined Catterton as a managing partner.
- **2016** — Became global co-CEO of the newly combined L Catterton with J. Michael Chu.
- **2017** — Named an NRF Power Player among its People Shaping Retail’s Future.
- **2019** — Joined Williams-Sonoma’s board.
- **2020** — Became Williams-Sonoma board chair in June.
- **2023** — Elected Notre Dame trustee effective July 1.
- **2026** — Identified as Global CEO in CHAMP launch and current firm biography.

## Achievements

- NRF recognized Dahnke as a Power Player for 2017.
- Helped lead L Catterton at its 2016 formation.
- A 2020 Leslie’s filing credited him with more than 30 investments.
- Serves as Williams-Sonoma board chair and Notre Dame trustee.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — L Catterton and Patricof Co announced CHAMP; Dahnke described it as an extension of the firm’s consumer investing approach.
- **2026-06** — CHAMP announced a Rhoback investment; Dahnke highlighted its products, storytelling and customer community.

## Links

- Website: https://www.lcatterton.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-dahnke-24292b15
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/L_Catterton

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/scott-dahnke
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09