MAM
Burning bright: Neha Kapoor rises to executive vice president at Leo Burnett
GURGAON: Some careers simmer. Neha Kapoor’s has been on full boil. The 17-year experienced advertising veteran has just been promoted to executive vice president at Leo Burnett India, capping a near-decade climb through the ranks that’s seen her torch every target in sight.
Kapoor joined Leo in June 2018 as associate vice president. What followed reads like a masterclass in upward mobility: vice president by May 2021, senior vice president by October 2023, and now the executive suite. Seven years and seven months. Four promotions. No smoke without fire.
Her CV suggests a woman who doesn’t believe in burning out. Before Leo, she spent nearly two years as director of brand engagements at DDB Mudra Group, where she presumably set a few brands ablaze. Prior to that, a four-year stint at OgilvyOne Worldwide saw her rise from account director to management supervisor, handling everyone from American Express to Vodafone.
The early days were equally scorching. At McCann Erickson, she helped launch Republic of Chicken and Dabur Junior whilst somehow finding time to wrangle celebrities on television shoots. At ENZ Communication, she cut her teeth on food and beverage brands, proving that even junior account executives can cook up creative solutions.
Kapoor describes herself as “a stickler for timelines and deliveries” who produces “meaningful results” under pressure. One suspects her clients would agree—you don’t rack up 17 years managing India’s leading brands by missing deadlines or melting under stress.
Now ensconced in the executive vice president’s chair, she’s promised to take on “challenging assignments” that add to her professional growth. Given her track record, one rather suspects it’s the assignments that ought to be worried. At Leo Burnett, it seems, Kapoor has found her perfect match.
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.
