Leo Puri named Apax Partners adviser and chairman of India arm

Private equity firm Apax Partners LLP has appointed Leo Puri as adviser to the company and also named him the chairman of Apax India.

Puri will advise Apax on the long-term growth strategy of the firm in the region, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. He will partner with Anurag Sud, head of Apax India, and the India investment team, to provide mentorship, strategic advice on operational input, and in assessing new investment opportunities, the firm added.

Sud will continue to lead and manage day-to-day operations in India, with support from London-based partner Rohan Haldea, it said. 

The post for the chairman of India operations has been newly created by the company.

Puri has three decades of experience in private capital and the broader financial services industry, having held senior roles at UTI Asset Management, McKinsey & Company, and Warburg Pincus in India. Puri has previously served as the chairman of JP Morgan Chase for South and Southeast Asia, and currently sits on the boards of Tata Sons, Hindustan Unilever, and Dr. Reddy’s.

Apax Funds has invested $2.3 billion across nine deals in India since 2006. Its portfolio includes investments like Azentio Software, Infogain, Global Logic, Zensar, IBS Software, and Fractal Analytics, Healthium, and Apollo Hospitals among others.