Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has appointed Arun Sarin as a senior adviser.

Sarin (pictured) is the former chief executive officer of mobile telecommunications company Vodafone and had previously been a senior adviser to KKR.

Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts, co-founders of KKR, said: “We are delighted to welcome Arun Sarin back to the firm as a senior adviser. From our past close partnerships with Arun – starting when he became chief executive of Accel-KKR Telecom almost a decade ago and then as a senior adviser to KKR – we know first-hand of Arun’s deep knowledge, global relationships, and diversified career as a world-class executive. We look forward to leveraging his broad business acumen, 25 years of experience and leadership across a variety of management and investment initiatives.”

“I am very pleased to have this opportunity to work with the KKR team once again,” says Sarin. “KKR is a preeminent investment firm that has evolved over three decades and expanded its investment capabilities. I am excited to contribute my own experience to cultivating KKR’s existing investments and enhancing the Firm’s growth initiatives.”

Sarin’s career began in 1984 at Pacific Telesis Group, where he pioneered the expansion of the mobile communications industry by acquiring numerous domestic and international cellular licenses. In 1994, he led the review and recommendation for the spinoff of the wireless businesses from PTG, which became AirTouch Communications. Subsequently, he was appointed president and chief operating officer of AirTouch in 1997.

With the 1999 merger of Vodafone and AirTouch, Sarin became chief executive of Vodafone’s US/Asia Pacific region. He left Vodafone in 2000 and rejoined as chief executive in 2003. He retired from Vodafone last year.

KKR’s senior advisers include current and former senior executives who bring leadership skills to complement the work of KKR investment professionals, the operational executives at KKR Capstone, and serve as liaisons to manage relationships with current and future investment partners.