MAM
FCB Kinnect appoints Priyanka Nair as national strategy director
Mumbai: Digital-first creative agency, FCB Kinnect, has appointed Priyanka Nair as national strategy director, furthering its commitment to pioneering a future where digital remains the cornerstone of brand communication strategy.
Priyanka moves from Ogilvy, where she was executive vice president – planning and strategy.
As our new national strategy director, Priyanka will spearhead the creation of transformative strategic solutions for our clients. With her profound expertise in deep thinking, she will enhance our digital capabilities, recognising their critical role as the foremost channel for brand development in the current market landscape.
Based out of the agency’s Mumbai office she will spearhead the planning teams across all three geographies – Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.
Under the guidance of Priyanka, the agency will also set up and run the transformation, expert alliances and knowledge verticals.
With over 15 years of experience, she was also associated with Creativeland Asia. Priyanka has worked closely with brands like Coca-Cola Nutrition, Minute Maid, Audi India and Tata Sky (now Tata Play), among others.
Her work has bagged various awards at the Cannes Lions, EFFIES India, EFFIES APAC and more.
On the appointment, FCB Kinnect and FCB/SIX India CEO Rohan Mehta said, “Priyanka’s addition strengthens the strategic direction of our digital assets towards impactful marketing. Her expertise will bolster our brand building capabilities, further amplifying our dedication to using creativity as an economic multiplier.”
FCB Kinnect COO Chandni Shah added, “Since we already possess an integrated model blending media, tech, content, and creativity around business goals, Priyanka’s appointment will allow us to maximise our offerings, by continuing to support clients through crafting insight-driven strategies which will fuel business growth.”
“I am super thrilled to jump onto this exciting new journey with FCB Kinnect as it gives me an opportunity to use my expertise at a digital-first creative agency, to not only to put out some fun work, but also help add value to clients and maximise effectiveness for both business and brand,” said FCB Kinnect national strategy director Priyanka Nair on joining FCB Kinnect.
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.
