MAM
Digitas India appoints Abraham Varughese as chief creative officer
Mumbai: Global marketing and technology services brand Digitas India on Wednesday announced the appointment of Abraham Varughese as chief creative officer.
Varughese will be based out of Mumbai and will work closely with Digitas India’s leadership team which includes Unny Radhakrishnan (CEO) and Sonia Khurana (COO) in driving the creative output and strategic direction for numerous brands at Digitas India.
Varughese has moved from Publicis Groupe Malaysia where he was chief creative officer and responsible for integrating the holding company’s agencies to deliver the value of ‘Power of One’ for clients which includes Samsung, Maxis Telecom, McDonald’s and Mondelez, said the company in a statement. Before that he was in Dubai with Leo Burnett, TBWARAAD and FP7/McCann-Erickson.
Welcoming him to the agency, Sonia Khurana said, “As CCO, Abraham will play a key role in setting and driving the future direction of our creative strategy. With his creative firepower, we look forward to unlocking more opportunities to connect with our client’s audiences in meaningful ways, combining creative thinking, tech, data and media. He is a modern communicator, a courageous leader and his lived-in experiences from around the globe adds great texture to our team.”
As a chief contributor of ideas and solutions across the creative arena, Varughese has written, co-created and guided work that has been recognised at D&AD, The One Show, Cannes Lions, WARC, Clio Awards, The Art Directors Club (ADC), AdFest and Effie, that includes Grand Prix, Best in Show and a rare Black Cube.
Sharing his views on joining the agency, Abraham stated, “As the entire industry attempts to adapt and navigate a plethora of platforms that are constantly evolving, I can’t think of a better place to be at than Digitas India. It’s a rare opportunity to collaborate with the best minds in Creative, CX Design, Technology, Strategy and Data –capabilities that are key to bridging the gap between the real world and tomorrow’s all-encompassing virtual spaces. I look forward to co-creating compelling brand experiences for our clients, and ultimately delivering consumer journeys that are truly memorable.”
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.
