MAM
Anita Nayyar to return to Havas Media as CEO, quits BCCL
MUMBAI: Former Havas Media CEO for India and South Asia Anita Nayyar is returning to her old agency, after a short stint of four
months at Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) as director customer strategy.
Nayyar will take up her old position at Havas Media from 14 August. Her last day at BCCL is 9 August.
Confirming her movement to Indiantelevision.com, Nayyar said, “I was missing the base of media agency where I have worked for 28 years. My journey with BCCL was very exciting and I learnt a lot here.”
“I think when you are on the media side you don’t understand the concerns of the other side well. After being on this side of the table, I have understood how a publishing house or a media house, a conglomerate operates. In terms of expectations from an agency’s side, now it is well-grounded,” she added.
Havas Media Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan said, “We are delighted that Anita has decided to return to the agency. While I met many potential candidates over the last months, when the choice did open up I had no doubt in my mind that she would be the right person to helm the India and South Asia operations. Her network knowledge, prior track record, industry experience and seniority – made it all relatively easy for me to decide who to place my trust in.”
Nayyar had joined Havas Media in 2007 as the CEO of MPG India. Later on, she was promoted to CEO of Havas Media for India and South Asia. Prior to joining Havas Media, she had also worked with Starcom and Mudra Communications.
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.
