FMCG beauty and wellness start-up, WOW Skin Science, has appointed Vikas Lal as chief financial officer. In his new role, he will oversee the business and corporate finance vertical for WOW Skin Science, WOW Life Science and Body Cupid. His responsibilities will include financial operations and controllership, financial planning and analysis, as well as strategic finance and business partnering.

With over 20 years of experience in the FMCG and consumer durables industry, Lal has held key leadership positions in finance across various Fortune 500 MNCs. His expertise spans multiple facets of finance, including sales commercial, factory finance, corporate finance and business planning. He has worked with companies including LG, Whirlpool, Coca-Cola, Pladis Global (McVities Biscuits), Groupe SEB India (Tefal and Maharaja Whiteline) and in his last role, he served as a senior director at OLA.

Elated about his new role, Lal stated, “The key to a brand's growth is rooted in its analytical approach to strategic expansion and willingness to take calculated risks and WOW Skin Science tops the list when it comes to disruption in that space. In my new role, my objective will be to foster a financially secure culture that places a premium on performance and reliability of the company's data, driving the brand's worth and expansion plans.”

Commenting on Vikas’s appointment, Mrunmay Mehta, Chief Operating Officer for WOW Skin Science, said, “Vikas will play a key role in developing a culture of frugality, making our business cash-efficient and future-ready to navigate the turbulent external context with an aim to IPO in the next couple of years.”

In May 2022, Wow Skin Science raised primary capital from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC. In December, VCCircle reported that WOW Skin Science was in discussion with institutional funds to raise $50 million in a fresh round of funding at a valuation of nearly about $395 million. 

The FMCG raised $50 million from homegrown private equity firm ChrysCapital in April 2021 in a combination of primary capital infusion and a secondary sale by existing shareholders.