MAM
WPP to host second series of CX India in partnership with Adobe
NEW DELHI: WPP is all set to host the second session of its CX series, to be held on 26 November 2020, in partnership with Adobe. Recognising the importance of CX in today’s day and age, the session will discuss a human-centred design approach and design thinking methodologies, with design, experience and technology experts sharing their thoughts on how to reframe CX strategies in an agile landscape. A previous session featuring Kantar had focused on Indian brands which had the experience advantage, including those within media, telecom, digital devices and digital services categories.
The key speakers for the session will include VMLY&R global lead — human-centred design and CX executive director Jason Gaikowski, VMLY&R co-CEO Asia Tripti Lochan, Adobe India head of solutions consulting Ayshak Venugopalan, and Licious chief business officer Meghna Apparao.
CVL Srinivas, country manager – India for WPP said, “The customer journey has become more complex than ever. Traditional avenues of reaching consumers are now being replaced by virtual touchpoints. Technology has created opportunities for brands to create unique, compelling and even personal customer experiences. With the right mix and strong design approach, brands can differentiate themselves from the competition and continue to interact and stay connected with their consumers.”
Jason Gaikowski said, “Covid2019 has essentially pulled technology adoption forward by a decade. While this has had an obvious impact to more mature technologies involving data, commerce, and contactless services, it’s had an even stronger impact to emerging tech; particularly in the AR/VR and game-world space. With these technologies, brands have the opportunity to replace and enhance the experiences that otherwise relied on place and space. With so much of society; work, school, medicine; moving online, it’s an amazing opportunity to redesign what we experience in these digital places and spaces.”
Tripti Lochan said, “India has incredible opportunities for CX thinking and innovation. It's a space in which most leading brands are now looking to invest, and those who aren't need to get there quickly. Great CX is about connecting a brand to its consumers on an emotional level, across devices, platforms and mediums. Consumers today live in a connected world, and brands need to keep up.”
“The CX race is to earn your customers trust and loyalty. This means you must understand them better than anyone else, and deliver exactly what they want when they need it. It's easier said than done. Businesses need to re-architect their systems around the customer, which changes the way they operate. Failing to realise this, there goes your competitive advantage,” added Vyshak Venungopalan.
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.
