Andrew Hauptman (born 1969) is an American business executive, philanthropist, and civic leader.
Hauptman co-founded the investment firm
Andell Holdings
Andell Inc. (formerly known as Andell Holdings, LLC) is a private investment firm and family office. Andell manages assets that grew out of the family’s controlling position of The Seagram Co. Ltd. Andell’s current activities include direct ...
which he has helmed since its inception in 1998 and has grown into one of the leading
family office
A family office is a privately held company that handles investment management and wealth management for a wealthy family, generally one with at least $50-$100 million in investable assets, with the goal being to effectively grow and transfer ...
entities in the nation.
Early life
Hauptman was born in 1969
[Chicagoland Soccer News: "WHO IS ANDREW HAUPTMAN? - New Fire Owner Opens Up About Fire Purchase" by Kathryn L. Knapp]
April 8, 2008 on
Eglin Air Force Base in
Ft. Walton Beach, and raised in
Smithtown, New York
Smithtown is a town in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. The population was 116,296 at the 2020 Census.
The census-designated place (CDP) of Smithtown lies within the town ...
. His father is a retired
pediatrician and his mother is an artist and former college counseling advisor. He graduated with a B.A. from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
[BusinessWeek: Company Overview of Andell Holdings, LLC](_blank)
June 8, 2015 and an M.B.A. from
Harvard Business School.
[Chicago Fire: "Andrew Hauptman - Owner and Chairman, Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Chairman, Andell, Inc"]
retrieved September 10, 2014 Early in his career, he worked at
Alex. Brown & Sons in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and later, as an executive with
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
in London, where he played a key role in the oversight of its international operations. In his youth, he was a competitive soccer and tennis player and participated in social service programs in Latin America (Belize) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Lesotho).
Andell Holdings
Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment managers across the globe.
[Washington Post: "Andell Holdings Buys MLS' Chicago Fire" By GARY GENTILE]
September 6, 2007 Andell's real estate platform includes a variety of investments across all asset classes and throughout the capital structure.
Board Affiliations
Hauptman has been a director of numerous public and private companies. He currently serves on the advisory board of Altas Partners and Pendulum Holdings.
''Representative Corporate Board Appointments (current and former):''
* Altas Partners
* BSN Sports
* Canyon Ranch Holdings
*
Dick Clark Productions
* Koor Industries
*
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Cineplex Entertainment, also known as Loews Incorporated, is an American theater chain operating in North America. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM).
The company was originally cal ...
* Pendulum Holdings
* Storage Mobility (PODS)
''Civic and Philanthropic Board Appointments (current and former)'':
* The Bronfman Hauptman Foundation (Co-Founder & Director, 2006–present)
*
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The president and chief executive offic ...
(Board of Directors, 2020–present)
*
The Charles Bronfman Prize (Co-Founder & Trustee, 2002–present)
*
Chicago Fire Foundation (2007 – 2019)
*
City Year
City Year is an American education nonprofit organization founded in 1988. The organization partners with public schools in 29 high-need communities across the US and through international affiliates in the UK and Johannesburg, South Africa. Ci ...
(Trustee 2008-2020) (Charter Trustee, 2020 – present)
* City Year Los Angeles (co-founder, 2007; board chair, 2007–2016, 2019–2020; chair emeritus, 2016–present)
*
Israel Policy Forum
The Israel Policy Forum is an American Jewish organization that works for a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict though advocacy, education and policy research. The organization appeals to American policymakers in su ...
(Advisory Council, 2017–present)
* The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs (Advisory Board, 2015–present)
* Los Angeles Fund for Public Education (Board of Directors, 2011 - 2016)
*
Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is an American nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
History
The organization was formed in 2016 through the merger of three historical national service efforts (the Franklin Project at the Aspen Instit ...
(Leadership Council & co-chair of Serve America Together campaign)
Key Business Dealings
Chicago Fire Soccer Club
From 2007 to 2019, Hauptman was owner and chairman of Major League Soccer's
Chicago Fire Soccer Club. In 2007, Andell purchased the Chicago Fire from billionaire Philip Anschutz's
AEG for $35 million.
Under Hauptman's ownership, the Club experienced dramatic growth, with the franchise value increasing more than eleven-fold culminating in a sale at $400m.
Growth
Per
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports website that provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories from top professional and college sports ...
, Hauptman's 12-year tenure as owner was a transformational one for the franchise and the league.
Hauptman entered the league as one of 12 owners; the league has since expanded to include 30 teams.
During this period, Hauptman sat on the league's board of governors and was an active member of MLS governance, holding positions on various league committees including the Expansion, Media, Competition, and Advisory Finance Committees.
He was closely involved in the design and creation of MLS' logo redesign launched in 2014. Under Hauptman, the Fire made extensive investments in the first team – regularly ranking in the top five in the league in salary outlay – as well as community programming and resources, working to build excitement for the sport from the ground up.
[Pub and Play: Fire Pitch defining a new center for Chicago soccer by Shane Murray](_blank)
July 31, 2017
Notable players under Hauptman’s ownership included American star
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham and Chicago Fire. He is the fifth-highest all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team.
For m ...
, World Cup Winner
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger (; born 1 August 1984) is a German former professional footballer who usually played as a central midfielder. Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder. Schweinsteiger is regarded as one of the grea ...
, Mexican legends
Pavel Pardo
Pavel ( Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian and Macedonian: Павел, Czech, Slovene, Romanian: Pavel, Polish: Paweł, Ukrainian: Павло, Pavlo) is a male given name. It is a Slavic cognate of the name Paul (derived from the Greek Pavlos). P ...
and
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, and Arsenal star
Freddie Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg (; born 16 April 1977) is a Swedish former professional footballer and manager who played as a winger. He was most recently a former assistant coach, and interim head coach of Arsenal.
He began his career at Hal ...
.
Community
Hauptman's ownership was marked by emphasizing and establishing deep roots and an ethos of giving across the community.
During his tenure, Hauptman constructed the $22 million, 125,000 square foot CIBC Fire Pitch community center on the north side of Chicago serving 300,000 participants annually,
launched the Chicago Fire Rec Soccer League (which grew to 20,000 participants), expanded the Chicago Fire Juniors program (from 400 to 16,000 players across six states), and formed the Chicago Fire Academy, one of the first fully scholarshipped programs in the nation, which became a source for star players signed to the first team. Hauptman also expanded the Chicago Fire Foundation and created its award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate Learn Achieve Youth Soccer) program, which expanded into 30 schools in the Chicago Public Schools district, and formed a partnership with the
U.S Soccer Foundation and the city of Chicago to build 50 mini-pitches in underserved neighborhoods across Chicago.
Recognition
The club was consistently recognized for its deep community engagement, including being awarded ESPN's 2019 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award, the 2017 Corporate Citizen of the Year Award by the Executives' Club of Chicago, the 2016 Beyond Sport Team of the Year, winning over other finalists
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
,
Arsenal FC
Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (incl ...
, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
, and the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
, and the 2015 Robert Wood Johnson Sport Team of the Year.
Mayor
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
praised the "key long-term investments" of the Fire and their ability to "drive tourism and bolster Chicago's future by encouraging our youth to engage in sports and spurring economic development across neighborhoods." He also highlighted the "culture of the Chicago Fire," saying "we're a better city because of what you do." Under Hauptman’s leadership, Chicago competed against
Manchester United in Chicago in 2011 and hosted the 2017
MLS All Star Game vs.
Real Madrid, at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
.
The games set TV viewership records with the 2017 All Star Game being watched by viewers in 170 countries.
Hauptman was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame as Sports Advocate of the year in 2017 for his singular commitments to the city and to the sport of soccer.
Bridgeview deal
According to Forbes, the deal to move the team to Bridgeview, IL which pre-dated Hauptman's purchase of the team, meant the Fire were "saddled with one of the worst stadium deals and restrictive leases in American pro sports" due to a lack of public transportation and contextual economic issues which had historically limited the municipality’s investment.
Hauptman led a complex and successful multi-year effort to leave Bridgeview and move the team to downtown Chicago and Soldier Field.
In 2019, with the support of both Mayors, he brokered deals with the Village of Bridgeview to exit its lease early and closed a three-year deal with the city of Chicago to return to Chicago's Soldier Field, beginning in 2020.
Sale
In September 2019, after securing the relocation of the team downtown, Hauptman sold his controlling interest in the Fire to
Joe Mansueto, founder of
Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is an American financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was founded by Joe Mansueto in 1984. It provides an array of investment research and investment management services.
With operations in 29 countries, ...
, who had purchased a minority stake a year earlier.
Mansueto's purchase valued the franchise at $400 million.
Mansueto credits Hauptman for having "developed a tremendous platform for continued soccer growth across Chicago and beyond, worked tirelessly to dramatically increase the profile of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, MLS, and the game overall and... left a wonderful legacy for our City."
In an interview with Forbes, Hauptman said, “I feel good about what’s been accomplished and the foundation that’s been built. The scale of our operations, along with strong management, a great local owner in Joe ... and, importantly for me and my family, an ethos of giving to the community that’s become a core part of the Fire’s culture has set the stage for success as we move downtown. Our move to an historic stadium in the heart of downtown Chicago is a major moment for the club, MLS and the city.”
BSN Sports
From 2007 until 2013, Hauptman’s holding company Andell was co-owner of BSN Sports, (formerly Sports Supply Group) the largest multi-channel direct marketer, manufacturer and distributor of sporting goods, athletic equipment and team sports apparel in the United States.
After acquiring an ownership stake in the publicly-traded business in 2007, Hauptman brought ONCAP Management Partners (a part of Onex Corporation) to the table, and alongside management, orchestrated a take-private transaction in 2010.
In June 2013, a strategic buyer purchased BSN.
Andell achieved more than a 4.5x gross multiple of its capital invested, representing a 67.6% gross IRR over the last three-year investment period.
Storage Mobility/PODS
From 2004 through 2014, Hauptman founded, owned, and operated Storage Mobility, the largest franchisee of
PODS Enterprises, Inc.
Under Hauptman’s tenure as chairman of the board, Storage Mobility launched and operated PODS locations in 21 new markets across the United States. In 2014, Hauptman reached an agreement to merge Storage Mobility with PODS which subsequently sold in 2015 to
Ontario Teachers for $1 billion.
Altas Partners
In 2013, Hauptman backed the launch of Toronto-based Altas Partners, Canada’s largest independent private equity firm, managing more than $9 billion in capital. Hauptman currently serves as an advisor and founding Advisory Board member. Altas has acquired businesses including NSC Minerals in 2013 (sold to Kissner Group in 2019); Medforth Global Healthcare Education in 2014 (partially sold to Carlyle Group in 2017, with the remaining sale finalized in 2022); and Capital Vision Services/MyEyeDr in 2015, representing 165 optometry centers serving 1.8 million patients in seven states.
MyEyeDr grew to 575 practices in 18 states and was sold to Goldman Sachs for $2.7 billion in 2019.
Philanthropy
Hauptman is a board member of the
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The president and chief executive offic ...
, the independent policy institute committed to improving the lives of Americans through bold progressive ideas and leadership. For more than twelve years, Hauptman served as a National Trustee for
City Year Inc., an education nonprofit that recruits young adults to serve as AmeriCorps members in under-resourced schools and communities across the nation and was elected Charter Trustee in 2020.
Hauptman also co-founded and led the effort to bring City Year to Los Angeles in 2007, where he served as chairman for nine years and continues as Chair Emeritus.
He serves on the Leadership Council of
Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is an American nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
History
The organization was formed in 2016 through the merger of three historical national service efforts (the Franklin Project at the Aspen Instit ...
and is a co-chair of the organization’s “Serve America Together” campaign, which called on 2020 presidential candidates to make national service a priority. Hauptman is also on the advisory board of the Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs
and the Leadership Council of International Medical Corps.
Hauptman served as president of the Chicago Fire Foundation for twelve years, where he launched the award-winning P.L.A.Y.S. Program.
He co-founded and serves as director of the Bronfman Hauptman Foundation, dedicated to social justice, advancements in education, environmental protection, and other philanthropic and civic causes. He is a co-founder and Trustee of the
Charles Bronfman Prize, which recognizes young humanitarians whose work is "grounded in their Jewish values and is of universal benefit to all people". Recent laureates include
Becca Heller
Rebecca Heller is a lawyer specializing in human rights. She is known for her opposition to the Trump travel ban, and for her work providing legal assistance to refugees through the International Refugee Assistance Project, which she co-founded an ...
, the co-founder and executive director of
International Refugee Assistance Project The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) works to organize law students and lawyers to develop and enforce legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons. It was originally a project of the Urban Justice Center in New York Cit ...
, Nik Kafka, the founder of Teach a Man to Fish, David Hertz, the co-founder and president of Gastromotiva, and
Amy Bach, founder of
Measures for Justice.
Hauptman's notable public contributions include the Obama Foundation, the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles to support those most adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and City Year Los Angeles to motivate donors to give in the wake of COVID-19.
Published works
Hauptman has authored a number of pieces stressing the value of national service and called for strong funding for national service programs. Hauptman has been a contributor on
CNN.COM
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
,
The74Million,
Huffington Post, and
Crain's.
Politics
Hauptman has been a leading contributor nationally to Democratic candidates.
Hauptman was a leading national donor and fundraiser in the 2020 effort to elect
President Biden and
Vice President Kamala Harris.
Andell Entertainment
Hauptman previously developed and produced several feature films including
''State of Play'', starring
Russell Crowe in 2009,
''Millions'' directed by
Danny Boyle
Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including '' Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel '' T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', ''28 Days Later'', '' S ...
in 2004, and
John Hamburg
John Liman Hamburg (born May 26, 1970) is an American screenwriter, film director and producer.
Personal life
Hamburg was born to a Jewish family in Manhattan, the son of New York City radio personality Joan Hamburg and Morton I. Hamburg. He g ...
's directorial debut, ''
Safe Men'', which premiered at
Sundance in 1998.
Honors and awards
* 2017 Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame (CSHOF) Inductee
[2017 Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony](_blank)
August 25, 2017
* 2017 City Year Honoree
Personal life
Hauptman is married to Ellen Bronfman Hauptman, the daughter of Canadian businessman
Charles Bronfman
Charles Bronfman, (born June 27, 1931) is a Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist and is a member of the Canadian Jewish Bronfman family. With an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion (as of 2021), Bronfman was ranked by ''Forbes'' ...
. They are members of Sinai Temple,
a conservative
synagogue.
References
External links
Chicago Fire - Official BioChairman, City Year Los Angeles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauptman, Andrew
1969 births
Jewish American sportspeople
Yale University alumni
Harvard Business School alumni
Bronfman family
Living people
21st-century American Jews