FMCG veteran PK Hariharan joins Lighthouse as Operating Partner
PK Hariharan will leverage his extensive experience in sales, distribution, marketing, and leadership in the Lighthouse ecosystem.
Mid-market private equity firm Lighthouse on Wednesday announced the appointment of PK Hariharan as an Operating Partner.
Sean Sovak, Founding Partner of Lighthouse, shared,
“We are thrilled that Hari is joining the Lighthouse family. He brings decades of experience, and our team and entrepreneurs will benefit greatly from his guidance and know how.”
Hariharan’s experience spans over 40 years in the FMCG industry, having led some of the leading personal care brands in India and abroad. He has spent close to 35 years with American consumer goods company Proctor and Gamble in different assignments across India in sales, market strategy, and planning.
Founders of Lighthouse: Mukund Krishnaswami, Sachin Bhartiya, and Sean Sovak
Hariharan has also spent more than six years in Singapore overseeing the South Asia business for the company.
More recently, he set up operations for American beauty brand Coty in India. He was also heading the company's professional and consumer beauty line in India and South Asia as the General Manager.
At Lighthouse, Hariharan is expected to leverage his extensive experience in sales and distribution, marketing, as well as leadership training.
Founded in 2006 by Sachin Bhartiya, Sean Sovak and Mukund Krishnaswami, Lighthouse has backed several consumer brands, including the likes of ethnic snack player Bikaji Foods, food chain WOW! Momo, premium personal care brand Kama Ayurveda, sanitary ware brand Cera Sanitaryware, ethnic lifestyle brand Fabindia, and V2 Retail, among others.
Earlier, this month it announced the closing of Lighthouse India Fund III, worth $250 million (Rs 1,750 crore).
In a statement, the company claimed that including predecessor funds, Lighthouse advises and manages cumulative assets of nearly half a billion dollars.
Investors in Fund III include global institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, UK-based development finance institution CDC Group, and German development finance institution DEG, along with several global endowments, pension funds and family offices.
