MAM
SintecMedia buys Operative; creates largest SaaS TV, digital ad management offering
MUMBAI: Operative, Inc. today announced its acquisition by SintecMedia and the transaction would create largest SaaS TV and digital advertising management offering for media companies globally.
Since 2001, Operative Media, Inc. has developed software and services that help publishers, agencies, networks, and broadcasters simplify the business of advertising. Media companies rely on Operative to sell, traffic, and bill premium ad inventory, increasing revenue and decreasing overhead. Operative’s client base, which controls over 20 percent of the global ad market, features NBCUniversal, Wall Street Journal, Comcast, Clear Channel, BuzzFeed, and Schibsted
Operative Media, Inc., the global leader in digital advertising business management solutions for major media companies, said the company will be acquired by SintecMedia, a portfolio company of Francisco Partners. The combined company brings together TV and digital ad management for media companies and publishers worldwide. Operative’s management team, including Lorne Brown, the company’s founder, are also investors in the combined business. Brown will take the role of president and remain part of the strategic leadership team within SintecMedia.
“Operative’s fantastic customer base and digital advertising solutions are the perfect compliment to our own global client roster and television advertising products,” said SintecMedia CEO Amotz Yarden. “With Operative as a key part of our offering, SintecMedia brings TV and digital ad management together, allowing media companies to streamline advertising infrastructure, increase profitability and drive the long term strategic control of their business.”
SintecMedia is the world’s leading television advertising management technology company. Their advanced TV advertising products maximize yield and streamline operations across direct and programmatic television advertising. SintecMedia systems are used by hundreds of the largest television media companies in the world.
This year, according to eMarketer, US digital advertising spending will be US$ 72.09 billion, marking the first year that the digital advertising market matches television, with the global market following similar patterns in the near term. In addition to digital’s fast growth, television is rapidly embracing digital and data-driven elements, from smart TVs to audience-based media buying.
Without the right partners, the rapidly changing TV and digital advertising markets can increase cost and complexity for media companies, from managing yield across direct and programmatic sales to operations and billing. The combined offering from SintecMedia and Operative empowers media companies to ensure a profitable advertising business across channels by seamlessly connecting the most important parts of their ad business while minimizing drag and waste.
“SintecMedia’s acquisition of Operative is the best possible outcome for our clients and for all media companies working to maximize profitability as TV and digital channels start to intertwine,” said Operative’s incumbent CEO Brown. “We are thrilled to join the SintecMedia team and look forward to continuing to create solutions for media companies in the future.”
GCA Advisors, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor and Dentons US LLP, the world’s largest law firm, acted as legal advisor to Operative. Morris Manning and Martin, LLP acted as legal advisor to Francisco Partners and SintecMedia. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions including customary regulatory review.
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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.
