MAM
Harish Shriyan to step down as CEO of Omnicom Media Group India
MUMBAI: Harish Shriyan has decided to step down from his role as CEO of Omnicom Media Group Indiaby the end of 2019. Over the next six months, Shriyan will work closely with the agencies’ senior leadership team to ensure a smooth transition for the business while the Group searches for a new CEO.
Shriyan was promoted to the chief executive role in December 2017, having been with the Group since its establishment in 2007 and served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2013 to 2017. With Shriyan’s support, the Group’s agencies –OMD and PHD –have grown to become full-fledged enterprises, resulting in the appointment of brand-level CEOs in the past two years: Priti Murthy and Jyoti Bansal respectively.
Speaking on his 12-year journey with the Group, Shriyancomments: “I am incredibly honoured to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented individuals over the years and been part of the Group’s establishment and growth in India. Given its strength in the form of its unique brand positioning, talent pool, infrastructure and exemplary leadership, I am confident that this is the right time for me to pass the baton on. I also have every confidence that the Group and its agencies will continue to excel in India and will follow their journey with pride andadmiration.”
Tony Harradine, Omnicom Media Group APAC CEO, adds: “Since its launch, Omnicom Media Group India has continued to go from strength to strength, becoming a key part of our Global business; Harish has been an integral part of that journey as a founding member and custodian of our brands. We thank Harish for all of his contributions to our business over the past 12 years and wish him all the best for the future.”
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.
