Mumbai: L Catterton, a global consumer-focused investment firm, today announced the appointment of Vikram Kumaraswamy as Partner and Co-Head of India. In this role, he will collaborate closely with Anjana Sasidharan, Partner and Co-Head of India, and Sanjiv Mehta, Executive Chairman for India, along with the firm’s Asia and global leadership teams to expand and strengthen L Catterton’s presence in one of its most strategic markets.
Kumaraswamy brings nearly three decades of global investing and operating experience to the firm. He most recently served as Global Head of Corporate Development and Treasury at Unilever PLC Group, based in London. During his 27-year tenure at Unilever, he led the company’s strategic capital allocation, corporate venturing, and M&A efforts, overseeing investments and divestments of around $15 billion across a diverse portfolio of business models aligned with the group’s strategic priorities.
Welcoming the appointment, Sanjiv Mehta said, “Vikram is a widely respected investor and operator with deep roots in India and vast experience across the world. L Catterton Executive Chair and Co-Founder Michael Chu and I have known him for many years and have consistently been impressed by his business acumen and high calibre steering of strategic initiatives. We are pleased to welcome him to the firm as we continue to build our platform in India, a key market for us in Asia.”
Sharing his thoughts on joining the firm, Vikram Kumaraswamy said, “I am thrilled to be joining L Catterton as I have long admired the firm’s culture, industry expertise, and value creation capabilities. It is exciting to be returning to India at this time, when the country’s consumer market is becoming increasingly discerning and organised amid its rapid development. L Catterton has a proven approach to investing and driving all-weather growth, and I am confident that the firm will play an instrumental role in shaping the success of numerous consumer companies in India for many years to come.”
Anjana Sasidharan added, “Growth is evident across India, with several categories expanding on the back of long-term consumer trends and structural tailwinds. Differentiated companies with sustainable competitive advantages in these categories have the potential to not only capture market share but also enlarge the pie. Given L Catterton’s unrivalled proficiencies in the sector which are now further amplified by Vikram’s experience, we are very well positioned to be the partner of choice to founders and management teams of companies who seek to build enduring brands and capabilities.”
Commenting on the strategic move, Scott Chen, Managing Partner, L Catterton Asia, concluded, “Vikram has a unique background with substantial investment experience and operating know-how. His skill sets nicely complement Sanjiv and Anjana’s, and we actively recruited him to broaden our capabilities in Asia as we continue to capitalize on growth opportunities in the region with compelling risk-reward profiles. We look forward to leveraging our collective international and domestic insights, competencies, as well as networks to drive attractive returns for our investors.”
