BoB chief faces these challenges ahead of merger with Vijaya, Dena Bank

| PS Jayakumar came on board as managing director and chief executive officer of Bank of Baroda (BoB) in October 2015 after a successful stint as an  entrepreneur running housing finance and affordable housing companies
 

| Like all banks chiefs, Jayakumar also faced challenges like recognising and recovering bad loans. However, the bank had minimum exposure to big-ticket   NPAs in the steel and infrastructure segments
 

| He started with some advantages – BoB had a good brand image and conducive work culture
 

| This helped him focus on developing long-term plans and capabilities. The bank is building category-wise platforms for channel financing of SME and   agriculture credit
 

| He did a review of the bank’s international business and is now involved in rationalising the branch network
 

| He firmly believes that although BoB is a public sector bank, a lot can be done internally without government intervention 
 

| BoB has put in efforts on skill and knowledge development as well as rolling out a succession plan by grooming managers for higher positions

As someone who will pilot the merger of BoB with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, Jayakumar faces three challenges:
 

| Ensuring fair valuation while deciding the swap ratio for merger
 

| Coming up with a collective leadership plan for harmonious integration of diverse cultures of the three banks
 

| Rationalising branch network across banks to save cost and accrue value