MAM
Havas Media Singapore’s Melvin Lim is new APAC CCO; Jacqui Lim to replace him
MUMBAI: Havas Media has elevated its current CEO of Singapore Melvin Lim to the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for Havas Media Group, Asia Pacific.
Jacqui Lim, the current MD of Singapore operations, will take over as the CEO of Havas
Media Group, Singapore.
In the new role, Melvin will be responsible for regional business development across all brands of Havas Media Group, including Havas Media, Arena Media and the specialist brands: Socialyse, Ecselis, Mobext and Affiperf.
In addition to the CCO role, he will continue to be the regional lead for Havas Sports & Entertainment, a concurrent role he took over in 2014.
Melvin joined Havas Media in 2011 and is credited with not only exponentially growing the Singapore operations but also transforming the agency into one of the most respected and competitive agencies in the country.
Commenting on the promotions, Havas Media Group, Asia Pacific, CEO Vishnu Mohan said, “Our Singapore operations has grown from strength to strength under Melvin’s leadership and we were keen to utilise his strong business acumen at a regional level. The role of Chief Commercial Officer is a natural fit for him given his background as a marketer, his experience with the network and his relationship with the wider global and local teams. I am confident that Melvin will be big asset to the regional team.”
“Jacqui is a natural leader and has more than proven her credentials for taking on a bigger role. She is a new business star, a talent magnet and a strategic thinker. I have no doubt that she will lead our Singapore operations to new heights of success,” added Vishnu.
Prior to joining Havas Media, Melvin was Head of Marketing for DBS Consumer Bank in Singapore where he led and managed all of DBS’ and POSB’s marketing programmes. Before this, Melvin spent four years as Deputy Director, Consumer Marketing at Singtel and
10 years with Asia Pacific Breweries, where he developed his foundation in Marketing and
Brand Management.
Jacqui joined Havas Media as Managing Director in October 2014 after having spent six years in ZenithOptimedia. In her previous role, she was Executive Director, General Manager, followed by Managing Director of the Singapore office. She was pivotal in leading and winning the Changi Airport Group pitch in 2013 as well as the Asia Pacific Breweries pitch in 2010.
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.
