MAM
Havas Media International appoints Aga Giedroyc as Asia Pacific GM
MUMBAI: Havas Media International has appointed Aga Giedroyc as general manager for Asia Pacific.
The new role sees Giedroyc returning back to Havas Media International (formerly MPG International), where she spent three years between 2005 to 2008 based out of London office.
Giedroyc will work closely with the agency’s hubs in Singapore and Hong Kong to manage key international businesses that include Emirates, LG Electronics, Shangri-La Hotels, Accor and AXA Insurance. Her mandate includes managing international teams with a focus on delivering integrated media planning and communications solutions through Meaningful Connections planning process. She will be also be responsible for driving the integration of digital and specialised services and leading business development from existing and new clients.
Giedroyc will report directly to Havas Media International global CEO Jorge Irizar and will have a dual reporting in Asia Pacific reporting in to Havas Media Group Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan and Havas Media Group, Greater China CEO Christophe Cases.
An accomplished media professional with more than ten years in media communications industry, Giedroyc joins the agency with an expertise in managing regional and global clients, strategy counsel, integrated and multi-market media planning, buying & implementation, incorporating digital, network management and international operations.
Most recently, she was with OMD International, where she was responsible for managing the media business of ASICS and Cisco in EMEA region. Prior to this, she spent four years with UM International.
Mohan said, “The two regional hubs of Havas Media International in Singapore and Hong Kong have witnessed a major growth and expansion on the back of our big global wins in recent years. Aga has the right experience and attitude for this role and I have no doubt that she will prove to be a great asset to the international team.”
Cases added, “Aga comes across as a very enthusiastic and driven person and it is wonderful to have her on board. We are looking forward to working with her closely in Greater China to develop the full potential of the international businesses based out of the Hong Kong hub.”
Giedroyc said, “Joining Havas Media is like homecoming for me. I started my career with Havas Media International in London and am truly excited to be back. Asia Pacific is a region that I was very keen to experience professionally and the group’s entrepreneurial spirit and its integrated offering was a big attraction for me. I do hope to contribute to its success story in the region.”
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
