MAM
Calvin John launches Calvinysm, stepping out of the boardroom
MUMBAI: After more than two decades of building some of India’s most recognisable consumer brands, marketing heavyweight Calvin John has struck out on his own. He has announced the launch of Calvinysm, a founder-led strategic brand growth and marketing advisory aimed at ambitious businesses looking for sharper thinking and faster execution.
John brings over 25 years of hands-on experience to the table. His career spans market leaders such as Bisleri, Titan, Tanishq, Surf, Rin and McDowell’s No.1, along with newer, category-shaping brands including Mia by Tanishq, CaratLane and Glance. Calvinysm marks his move from corporate leadership to independent advisory, without losing his deep, inside-out view of how businesses grow.
“For years, founders and CMOs have reached out for perspective, often outside formal structures,” said John. “Calvinysm is a natural extension of catalysing growth for ambitious brands.”
Unlike traditional consultancies, Calvinysm positions itself as a close, in-the-room partner. The advisory will work directly with founders and leadership teams on growth strategy, marketing transformation, digital storytelling and brand architecture, focusing on clarity of thought and speed of action.
John’s professional journey has taken him across India, North America, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, giving the new venture a global lens on consumer behaviour and business transformation.
“After two and a half decades of building brands from zero to scale, it is clear that businesses need clearer choices and the ability to execute quickly,” John said. “Calvinysm exists to help brands grow with conviction, without the delays and dilution of heavy structures.”
Calvinysm will partner with growth-stage companies, founder-led enterprises and legacy brands seeking reinvention. Operating independently, it will collaborate with leading execution firms to translate strategy into sustained, meaningful growth.
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.
