MAM
Omega, PGA of America sign 5-year sponsorship agreement
MUMBAI: Omega, the Swiss maker of prestige watches, and The PGA of America have announced a strategic marketing and sponsorship agreement that will carry through 2016.
The five-year agreement, which provides for multiple “Official Timekeeper” designation, marks a major breakthrough for Omega in the sport of golf in the US.
The deal also enhances the brand’s rich history in sports timekeeping and aligns Omega with the world’s largest sports organisation consisting of 27,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are recognised for their expertise in teaching the game, promoting the game, and managing golf facilities.
The new partnership will be launched at the 2011 PGA Championship that takes place from 8-14 August at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga, and will extend through The PGA of America’s Centennial in 2016.
Omega president Stephen Urquhart said, “With our tournaments in Europe and Asia, Omega has long supported the growth of golf as a global game and we are looking forward to being involved in the great events organised by The PGA of America. This partnership also gives us a fantastic platform to develop the brand in the important American market.”
With The PGA of America conducting two of golf’s premier events enjoyed by global audiences – the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup — Omega is committed to elevating its mutual brand presence in a global marketplace while expanding its public awareness. That commitment includes advertising on golf telecasts of PGA championship events, marketing support for the PGA’s player development efforts and extending benefits to PGA members and their facilities.
PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka said, “The PGA thanks OMEGA for its excitement in promoting the game and our brand, as well as OMEGA’s recognition of the important role PGA Professionals play in the growth of the sport. We are delighted that OMEGA will become the Official Timekeeper, delivering quality service and technical support at our premier spectator and member championships.”
Through the multi-faceted partnership agreement, Omega will commit support to a member-benefit Omega timepiece programme and a facility clock programme, both exclusive to PGA Professionals.
Further, Omega has committed support to the PGA Professional National Championship, as one of three Presenting Sponsors and support of the Championship telecast on Golf Channel. Omega will also commit to having corporate hospitality at all PGA major championships, and Omega clocks will be positioned at PGA Golf Properties — PGA Golf Club, the PGA Center for Golf Learning & Performance, PGA Country Club, and Valhalla Golf Club.
Omega adds that it has long supported the sport of golf internationally, serving as title sponsor of the Omega European Masters, the Omega Mission Hills World Cup of Golf and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Omega’s roster of brand ambassadors includes a number of current golf stars and one of the game’s all-time greats, Greg Norman.
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.
