MAM
Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea.
GOA: “This is the time for renaissance in advertising because of the availability of technology”, asserted Isobar global CEO Jean Lin, while shedding light on how the backbone of ideas without limits is the importance of innovation.
Quoting Alibaba’s success story, she mentioned that creativity is the key to make everything successful. “In the digital age it’s about delivering ideas without limit. The key point behind innovation is that the idea actually exists, we have to just innovate.”
She further outlined that according to a PWC research in 2013, companies that look to innovate grew faster by 60 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent growth of companies that were taking on each other. The rate of change of society is a function of the age at which youth were introduced to the dominant technology of the time.
Lin explained how Alibaba.com had launched a singles day sale in 2015 which got it sales worth $ 14.3 billion on that day. With 69 per cent of the sale from mobile devices, shoppers from 200 countries participated and 16,000 international brands were bought. “People from all over the globe can buy online. India is one of the highest border-less buyers worldwide. Now clients don’t have to look at other brands within their geography, they need to compete with prices even in other countries.”
She also presented the example of Disneyland’s investment in the magical wrist band which worked well for the company as well as helped the travellers to track ticket, hotel room key and for getting reservations in hotels.
The next thing that she spoke about was programmatic videos. She cited the example of how Unilever used this in technology where it showed 100,000 different videos for different people for a deodorant brand. “Even for programmatic video, content is required. It will take different thinking though. It gives viewers higher satisfaction. Technology helps, but it takes a creative to think of creativity in a different way”.
The case studies of how Pinterest came up with its predictive shopping and how Youtube provides 100 per cent shoppable videos were also briefly discussed by Lin. “Ideas without limits is when YouTube and Pinterest take e-commerce seriously and MasterCard introduces the concept of Pay by selfies,” she added.
Going further, she divided ideas into two types:
Ideas that reimagine the last mile
With an array of examples like UMood, Coca-Cola, etc, Lin pointed out that an idea should be limited only be for an ad campaign.
Ideas that invent and reinvent
“Innovation comes from an idea that already exists”, voiced Lin. She used examples of Sky Tip, GM Co-driver, Fiat, etc.
She emphasized on the new role of agencies which is not only about creatively solving problems. “Any agency can think of an idea, but very few can execute that idea. That’s a key to win. We need to grow with clients. This will come when tangible results are seen. When you think of ideas without limit, it can happen.”
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
