MAM
AndBeyond.Media appoints Dharika Merchant as company president
MUMBAI: AndBeyond.Media, announced the appointment of former Affinity executive Dharika Merchant to serve as President of the company, effective today. In her role, Merchant – a specialist in business development, product strategy and operations, will be focused on driving the execution of AndBeyond.Media’s strategic plan for expanding the businesses reach globally, and scale new heights with innovation to deliver operational excellence.
With in-depth industry experience, Dharika has had a long and successful track record overseeing and executing business strategy and expansion. She joins AndBeyond.Media from her long-standing stint at Affinity, where she spearheaded business teams and handled a multitude of product portfolios ranging from SEM, PPC and standard display to real-time bidding (RTB) and programmatic media buying. A digital maven with deep seeded skills in mobile marketing and media buying, she has provided her customer acquisition and relationship management expertise to a large spectrum of clients that include Direct Advertisers, Ad Networks, Affiliate Networks and Publishers, and has successfully helped businesses achieve their ambitions.
“As AndBeyond.Media forays into this new chapter of global expansion, I am confident that Dharika will effectively lead the business and help scale the company’s growth to its fullest potential,” said Karan Gupta, Chief Executive Officer at AndBeyond.Media. “Her strong management background and extensive leadership experience makes her the right person to oversee AndBeyond.Media’s future growth plans. Through the various positions she has held over the years, Dharika has proven to be an accomplished and trusted leader and brings to this position a strong reputation for developing teams and inspiring businesses to go beyond the ordinary. Her wealth of experience will truly serve as an asset as we continue to accelerate growth and attain new milestones.”
Talking about her new role Dharika Merchant, President, AndBeyond.Media said, “I’m thrilled to join AndBeyond.Media during this exciting time. AndBeyond.Media’s bespoke technology and solutions, I believe, are some of the finest innovative offerings in the programmatic advertising space. I look forward to working alongside Karan, Pankil and the company’s talented employees, and dedicated partners around the world to expand the reach of the business, drive greater value and challenge the limits of innovation”
“Dharika has built an impressive record of accomplishments through the years. Her proven ability to deliver results makes her the perfect choice to help execute our strategic ambitions and drive scalable, sustainable growth,” added Pankil Mehta, Chief Business Officer, AndBeyond.Media.
Merchant’s appointment comes closely on the heels of the appointment of Ashley King as VP Publisher Development and the launch of the New York City office – last week. These announcements come at a period of rapid expansion for the company’s business globally.
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.
