MAM
Havas announces acquisition of ‘EPROFESSIONAL’
Mumbai: Havas has announced the strategic acquisition of Hamburg-based digital performance marketing agency EPROFESSIONAL, expanding its portfolio of firstclass performance marketing services and further strengthening its position as a leading agency group in Germany. EPROFESSIONAL will retain its independent branding and join the organisation under Havas Media Network.
Founded in an attic in Hamburg in 1999, EPROFESSIONAL has made a name for itself as a pioneer and provider of customized solutions in the field of performance marketing. The agency is an experienced partner in all aspects of digital marketing, from SEO/SEA to social media and multichannel tracking. EPROFESSIONAL has been working successfully for clients such as Vodafone, L’Oréal and Hapag Lloyd for many years.
“We are thrilled to welcome EPROFESSIONAL to the Havas family. By combining EPROFESSIONAL’s expertise with our group’s local and global resources, we further strengthen Havas Media Network in Germany, ranked “dominant” in the latest RECMA report, and are better equipped to deliver best-in-class digital marketing solutions to our clients. After making investments in the UK, Canada, and India, our objective is to further expand our digital performance capabilities worldwide,” commented Havas chairman & global CEO Yannick Bolloré.
Havas Media Germany CEO Sven Traichel, explains the acquisition as follows, “The focus has always been on making strategic and, above all, locally relevant investments. The acquisition of EPROFESSIONAL is such an investment to expand our digital expertise and offer customers even greater added value. The merger will enable both Havas and EPRO customers to implement successful marketing measures at all touchpoints of the entire customer journey.”
EPROFESSIONAL managing director Tim Christiansen, was also delighted with the takeover. “Havas is an ideal partner for us. We share the same vision of offering customers innovative and customized solutions. In addition, the chemistry on a human level is outstanding.”
Together with Christiansen, Henner Uekermann will lead EPROFESSIONAL taking on the role of managing director. In parallel, Henner will continue in his role as Managing Partner for the agency brand Arena Media in Germany, which operates alongside Havas Media as a second brand under the umbrella of the Havas Media Network.
Uekermann is approaching his new role with great enthusiasm, “The integration of EPRO into the Havas Media Network and the further development of Arena Media in Germany are two wonderful tasks for me. With EPRO’s technological solutions and Havas Media’s 360° approach, we can implement holistic strategies from the first touchpoint to conversions and achieve our clients’ growth targets effectively and efficiently. By combining our competences, we can offer our clients an absolute state-of-the-art product from which we expect our agency to continue to grow in the coming years.”
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.
