MAM
TNS restructures operations in APAC region
MUMBAI: Custom research company TNS has restructured its operations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
Under the new structure, Singapore will become the APAC regional headquarters. This will be followed by the re-organisation of TNS operations in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa into two separate regions: TNS Africa and Middle East (AME) and TNS Asia Pacific (APAC).
Said CEO Africa, India and Oceania Chris Riquier, “This structure responds to feedback provided to us by clients and staff; it will allow us to be more dynamic and responsive to the many opportunities and challenges presented by this exciting growth region.”
According to the company, the new structure was created to reflect the differing needs of APAC‘s diverse markets, increase the level of focus on clients, improve efficiency and take advantage of Singapore‘s status as the regional hub for global clients and the headquarters location for many Asian companies.
Chris Riquier, currently CEO Africa, India and Oceania, will become CEO Asia Pacific effective from 1 January next year. He will be joined by Heather Payne as CMO and supported by Neerja Wable who, in addition to her responsibility as India and Sri Lanka CEO, will focus on APAC client development.
Reflecting the importance of China and Indonesia as rapid growth markets, Serene Wong, (CEO China) and Raghavan Srinivasan will report directly to the APAC CEO.
While Hamish Munro has been appointed as managing director of Singapore, Wade Garland (CEO Hong Kong) will assume line management for Taiwan led by Manny Inocencio. Ralf Matthaes will oversee Vietnam and Malaysia while Grant Bertoli will oversee Thailand and the Philippines. Yazid Jamian (MD Malaysia) and Gary de Ocampo (MD Philippines) will report to Ralf and Grant respectively.
APAC will be led by a five member board comprising Chris Riquier (CEO), Paul Durant (CFO), Heather Payne (CMO), Michelle Griffin (CTO) and Neerja Wable (CEO India and Sri Lanka) supported by Chairman Jamie Hall.
Brands
Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
