Suryoday Small Finance Bank Limited has announced a leadership move that strengthens its board with the addition of two heavyweight independent directors. The bank’s board, after recommendations from its Nomination and Remuneration Committee, approved the appointment of Sunil Satyapal Gulati and Alok Sethi as Additional Directors (Independent) effective March 12, 2026. They will hold office as Additional Directors until the next general meeting or within three months from the date of appointment, whichever is earlier, and have been approved to serve as Independent Directors for five consecutive years, not liable to retire by rotation, subject to shareholder approval.
Sunil Satyapal Gulati brings three decades of global banking experience to the table. His leadership footprint spans roles as Chairman and Independent Director on several boards, including SBI Mutual Fund Trustee Company, Merisis Advisors, and Arthan Finance, and as an Independent Director and chair of Audit, Risk, and NRC committees on multiple boards in fintech and financial services. His prior roles feature high-level governance and risk management leadership across prominent institutions, including stints as Chief Risk Officer at RBL Bank and executive leadership roles at Yes Bank and ING Group. Gulati also serves in advisory capacities and has a track record of contributing to SEBI-backed initiatives on mutual funds and governance.
Alok Sethi, another seasoned global executive, is renowned for leading large-scale operations and technology transformations. He spent over two decades at Franklin Templeton, most recently as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Operations and Technology, overseeing operations for a global asset manager with trillions in assets. A Chartered Accountant by training, Sethi has steered multi-country operating models, major M&A integrations, and Global Capability Centers, with broader governance and risk oversight experience across the group and on various boards. His background complements the bank’s emphasis on robust governance, operational resilience, and strategic transformation.
The appointments reflect Suryoday SFB’s push to augment independent oversight and strategic direction as it grows. With both appointees bringing deep risk, governance, and transformation credentials, the bank signals a deliberate move to broaden perspectives at the board level while maintaining governance discipline and accountability for shareholders and customers alike.