Golf has teed off the imagination of American Express big shots. Ace golfer Tiger Woods has been appointed as the worldwide spokesman for the bank. Among the first television commercials featuring Woods will be a spot about American Express Financial Advisors. Pray why Tiger Woods? Explains American Express president and CEO Kenneth I Chenault, ``Woods' achievements and his excellence are the result of discipline, hardwork and preparation.These are the pillars of our financial services business which is why we are excited to have Tiger represent American Express Financial Advisors as well as other American Express products''. In fact, American Express already has a long history of communicating the values of its brand by using heroes and personalities, who hold a significant place in the hearts of people worldwide.

A K Bansal has taken over as eastern regional chief of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), the third largest public sector oil company of the country. He has replaced SK Sharma who has taken over as chief of western region of the company.

A graduate in commerce and law, Bansal joined IBP and later moved over to BPCL in 1983. He has wide experience in petroleum sector as he worked in sales, supply & distribution, personnel and aviation divisions of the company. He was earlier the chief of aviation division of BPCL in Delhi.

Dr PC Pandey has taken over as the advisor of the department of ocean development and the new head of the Antarctic study centre, Goa. Earlier, Dr Pandey was the head of the oceanic sciences division, department of space, space application centre, Ahmedabad.

He is an eminent sceintist of international repute and has contributed significantly to the Indian space programme for over two decades and several other international space programmes. Dr Pandey has the distinction of working with national aeronautic and space administration's(Nasa), Seasat mission at jet propulsion laboratory, California institute of technology, US, the first mission completely dedicated to oceanography research.

He has also worked on Nasa's first earth observing sate lites(EoS) mission. He initiated research in various disciplines using satellite technology for oceanography, weather and climate research. He is memeber of joint study team set up by Isro chairman to define future space such as Oceansat series and climate. TS Raghavan, former executive director of Vijaya Bank, has assumed charge as chairman and managing director of the Bank of Maharashtra. A post graduate in economics, Raghavan has been a banker for three decades, and had a stint of 32 years in the Indian Overseas Bank where he rose to the position of general manager.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.