MAM
Eye on inclusivity, Havas India bats for ‘Women Who Inspire’
MUMBAI: It is a truth universally acknowledged that women face more challenges in the workplace than members of the opposite sex. Even as more and more women join the workforce, there are still many obstacles for them to overcome, be it in terms of equal pay, career opportunities, harassment or work-life balance. With this thought looming large, Havas has started ‘Women Who Inspire’ – an initiative to foster gender diversity and women leadership.
Ultimately, the goal is to bring about a cultural transformation and mindset shift that will help build a diverse and strong workforce that is futuristic and encourages many more women leaders in the group. A core group has been formed which consists of members in senior roles, across all our six agencies, who are in a position to influence, inspire, and mentor the next rung of leadership. This core team meets every alternate month to discuss key issues, opportunities, and changes relevant for the group as a whole and works towards recognising and celebrating the great work that women leaders do across the group.
The initiative has been devised with four key objectives in mind: mentoring high-potential women leaders; promoting the exchange of ideas and networking opportunities; enhancing the growth of women staffers as leaders and decision-makers; and creating the right environment that allows development and growth opportunities.
Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua said, “Being diverse is all about enabling a culture that is conducive to freely express, share thoughts and perspectives. As we embark on this journey, we are excited about the potential cultural and mindset change that it can bring to the lives of women employees within Havas Group India. We see this as a step to bring about a huge transformation and one that will help us move in the direction of building a versatile workforce that is futuristic and aligned to the changing global world order and economy.”
Havas Group CHRO Vandana Tilwani who is leading this initiative added, “As we gear up for our next phase of (post-Covid) growth at Havas, we have to adapt to a different way of working which involves merging of work and life, remote working and adapting to agile and flexible team structures. Becoming a gender-diverse organization, breaking of many fixed rules and taboos and thus encouraging more women leaders is not only important in creating a futuristic workplace, it is now a necessity in order to have a competitive advantage.”
Members of the core committee:
Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua
Havas Group India CHRO Vandana Tilwani
Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi
Havas Life Sorento managing partner Susan Josi
Think Design co-founder and design director Deepali Saini
Havas Group India director marketing and communications Priyanka Mehra
Havas Group India general manager HR Toral Shah
Havas Media head – west Sanchita Roy
Havas Creative SVP – client servicing Geetika Thakur
Havas Life Sorento Sr Manager Scientific Communications Rasika Bhat
Shobiz creative director Sreyashi Datta
Langoor Havas head HR Pavithra Eshwar
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.
