MAM
Supraja Srinivasan appointed VP and Head of Corp Comms at Publicis Groupe
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe South Asia has brought seasoned communicator Supraja Srinivasan into the driver’s seat as vice-president and head of corporate communications for the region. She will report to Anupriya Acharya, CEO of Publicis Groupe South Asia, and take charge of internal and external communications while shaping the company’s brand reputation and B2B narrative across markets.
Srinivasan arrives with more than 16 years of experience in communication strategy, brand building and business journalism across India and international markets. She joins from BookMyShow, where she spent seven years leading PR and corporate communications across India, Southeast Asia and the UAE.
Before stepping into the communications world, she held senior editorial roles at The Economic Times, Bloomberg TV India and CNBC-TV18, earning recognition for her skill in shaping public narratives.
Welcoming her to the fold, Anupriya Acharya said the Groupe is entering a fresh phase of growth after five years of strong performance. She added that Srinivasan’s strategic clarity and dynamic approach will be vital as the company sharpens its focus on differentiated solutions built on data, content and AI-led capabilities.
Reacting to her appointment, Srinivasan said she was excited to join the Groupe at a moment ripe with possibility. She highlighted the power of the Groupe’s integrated model, combining creativity, data, technology and media to deliver high-impact solutions. She noted that she looks forward to shaping narratives that reflect this energy, strengthen thought leadership and deepen engagement with clients, partners and teams as brands navigate the fast-evolving marketing landscape.
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.
