MAM
FCB Kinnect appoints Sumera Dewan as EVP – North
Mumbai: Sumera Dewan, formerly president at Punt Creative, will now spearhead FCB Kinnect’s strategic growth in the North region. She will oversee the office, managing over 100 Kinnectors, and will be responsible for the P&L in this dynamic, high-growth area.
While collaborating with the Delhi team, she will work closely with Neville Shah – recently appointed CCO FCB Kinnect, to develop creative solutions for business challenges for our brands.
Her leadership is anticipated to further enhance FCB Kinnect’s dedication to fostering a culture of both creative and strategic excellence. Sumera’s extensive experience and commitment to nurturing high-talent-density teams and long-term client relationships will be invaluable as she helps steer FCB Kinnect to new heights.
In a career spanning 14 years, Sumera has also had stints with Dentsu Webchutney, JWT (now part of VML), and Dentsu One (now part of Dentsu Creative). She’s excelled in both account management and strategic roles, forging meaningful partnerships with a diverse range of clients, including YouTube, Levi Strauss & Co, Nestle, Airtel, Under Armour, Tinder, Spotify, Unilever, Van Heusen, among others.
Her impressive track record includes winning prestigious awards like Cannes Lions, One Show, Abbys, Kyoorius, and EFFIES for campaigns such as Code Name (URI Film), HerShe (Hersheys), Axe Your Ex (Tinder), among others.
Speaking about the appointment, FCB Kinnect & FCB/SIX India CEO Rohan Mehta said, “Sumera’s energy is palpable. The varied experience she brings to the table will significantly enhance FCB Kinnect’s full-funnel services for our clients. Her alignment with our ethos of leveraging creativity to solve real business challenges, combined with her strategic growth expertise, will be instrumental in deepening our relationships with both existing and potential clients in the North. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Kinnect family.”
Sumera added, “I’m thrilled to join FCB Kinnect at this pivotal moment in their journey. Chandni and Rohan’s dedication to delivering exceptional creative work and elevating the agency on a global stage drew me in. Kinnect is founded on a solid base with the ambition and resources to reach new heights of creative excellence, driving remarkable results for our client partners. My aim will be to cultivate a culture of outcome-driven work that makes a tangible impact on the brands we partner with while also realizing the agency’s creative aspirations.”
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.
