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John Giannandrea to retire as Amar Subramanya joins Apple AI leadership
CUPERTINO: Apple is entering a new chapter in its AI journey as John Giannandrea, senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy, announces he will step down and serve as an advisor before retiring in spring 2026.
In a major leadership move, Apple has appointed renowned AI expert Amar Subramanya as vice president of AI, reporting to Craig Federighi. Subramanya will oversee Apple Foundation Models, machine learning research, and AI safety and evaluation, bringing his extensive experience from Microsoft, where he served as corporate VP of AI, and Google, where he led engineering for the Gemini Assistant.
Since joining Apple in 2018, Giannandrea has been pivotal in shaping the company’s AI strategy, building a world-class team and driving innovations in Apple Foundation Models, Search and Knowledge, ML research, and AI infrastructure. With his retirement, the balance of his organisation will shift to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue to streamline operations and align teams more closely.
Apple CEO Tim Cook praised Giannandrea for his contributions, “John played a key role in advancing our AI work, helping Apple innovate and enrich the lives of our users. AI has long been central to Apple’s strategy, and we are thrilled to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team to bring his extraordinary expertise to Apple.”
Subramanya’s arrival signals Apple’s ambition to accelerate its AI capabilities, particularly in personalising Siri and other Apple Intelligence features. With Giannandrea’s legacy as a foundation, Federighi’s expanded oversight, and Subramanya’s deep technical know-how, Apple aims to continue delivering intelligent, trusted, and deeply personal experiences for users worldwide.
This leadership shuffle marks an exciting moment for Apple as it positions itself at the forefront of AI innovation while maintaining its commitment to privacy, trust, and user-centric design.
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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.
