Team
Mats Lederhausen
Special General Partner
Mats Lederhausen is a Special General Partner with Cue Ball and is also CEO of his own private investment holding company, BECAUSE, LLC. Mats has been actively involved with Cue Ball since the firm’s inception and brings to the firm deep consumer industry and operating experience, particularly in brands and multi-unit restaurant concepts. Mats was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 under 40” to watch and the World Economic Forum honored him as a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” in 2000. Mats serves as Chairman of the board for the not-for-profit Business for Social Responsibility and serves on the board of trustees of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Background
Most recently, Mats served as Managing Director of McDonald’s Ventures. McDonald’s Ventures managed the investments McDonald’s held in forward-looking concepts and growth initiatives including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Boston Market, RedBox DVD and Pret AManger. As Chairman of Chipotle from 2003-2006 Mats helped shape the strategy that led to one of the most successful restaurant IPO of all times. Mats serves on the boards of Sylvan Learning Centers, Itrim, and Chairman of ROTI Mediterranean Grill.
After serving as McDonald's joint venture partner and operating 170 McDonald’s restaurants in Sweden, Mats joined McDonald’s Corporation in 1999 as Head of Global Strategy where he helped architect one of the most successful corporate turnarounds in recent history.
Mats recently formed BE-CAUSE to advise on and invest in pioneering and purpose-driven consumer concepts that have been validated in one or two markets and that seek a value-add expansion partner for the next level of scale. BE-CAUSE works in close partnership with Cue Ball to source and invest in consumer businesses with the potential to be a big and purposeful idea with enduring shareholder value.
Education
Bromma Gymnasium, Business Administration
Stockholm School of Economics, Masters of Science
