MAM
Former US President Bill Clinton to deliver 2007 Promax/BDA keynote
MUMBAI: US media and marketing organisation Promax/BDA has announced former US President Bill Clinton as the keynote speaker for the organisation’s annual conference this June in New York City.
Regarded as one of the best communicators in modern history and global politics, Clinton’s unique ability to engage his audience and create an emotional connection between the listener and the issue is a talent coveted by today’s marketers in electronic media. Clinton’s understanding of the changing media landscape and his ability to construct a message in a way that fully utilizes the medium delivering it is also of great interest and importance to the Promax/BDA membership.
Promax/BDA chairman Michael Benson who is also ABC Entertainment’s executive VP, marketing says, “We are pleased and honored by the opportunity to host President Bill Clinton as our keynote speaker this year. Our membership will certainly benefit from President Clinton’s experience and wisdom as a prominent world leader and respected statesman as well as from his efforts inspiring humanitarianism around the globe.
“As an organisation dedicated to furthering the roles of our members as the world’s foremost television marketers, what better example to provide to them than this global communicator whose vision and accomplishments, both during his presidency and beyond, have touched billions.”
Promax/BDA will hold its 52nd annual North American conference from 12-14 June 2007 in New York. The event, which attracts television marketers and designers from all over the world, has previously featured such respected and well-known speakers as Anderson Cooper, Larry King, Robert Kennedy Jr. and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, among others. President Clinton is the first former president to address members of Pormax/BDA.
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.
