Global investment firm Carlyle on Monday announced that it has appointed Anuj Poddar as the co-head of global portfolio solutions (GPS) for Asia to enhance portfolio company value-creation capabilities in India and Southeast Asia.
Poddar joins Carlyle from Bajaj Electricals, a consumer appliances and lighting solutions company based in India, where he served as the CEO.
In his new role, Poddar will work closely with Carlyle Asia’s country investment advisory teams; Janine Feng, vice chair of Carlyle Asia, who oversees value creation strategies and initiatives in Asia; as well as Richard Elder, global head of GPS in the US, to help drive transformational change and performance with portfolio companies, Carlyle said in a statement.
Poddar will be based in Mumbai.
“His new role dovetails with our increased focus on enhancing portfolio company value creation and as we look to increase the number of control buyout deals that we do in Asia. We look forward to leveraging Anuj’s extensive experience, particularly in India, as we work with our portfolio companies, with the goal to strengthen and improve their operations, accelerate growth, and drive impact,” said Greg Zeluck, Managing Director and co-head of Carlyle Asia.
Poddar has over 30 years of corporate leadership and management consulting experience. Before Bajaj Electricals, Poddar was a member of the senior leadership team at Viacom18 Media in India, where he played an integral role in the growth of the company, including its foray into mass entertainment and expansion into regional and international markets.
While at Viacom18 Media, he also led strategy for MTV Networks Asia for Southeast Asia and China, based out of Singapore. Before Viacom18 Media, he spent nearly a decade with KPMG and Arthur Andersen, where he provided consulting, M&A, and other services to companies across sectors.
“Value creation is becoming increasingly complex and multifaceted across the region, and I look forward to working with the team and building on Carlyle’s global GPS capabilities to help portfolio companies seek to optimise performance in today’s fast-evolving business environment,” Poddar said.
Carlyle conducts its operations through three business segments: global private equity, global credit, and global investment solutions. The firm has $435 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2024. Carlyle employs more than 2,200 people in 29 offices across four continents.
