MAM
Chtrbox plants its first global flag in Dubai to crack the Middle East
NATIONAL: Chtrbox has taken its first step outside India, setting up Dubai as its global hub and gateway to the Middle East in a bid to build a cross-border creator economy linking high-growth markets.
The publicly listed creator-economy firm said the move gives it a base to connect creators, brands and platforms across India and the Gulf, turning one-off influencer campaigns into longer-term commercial ecosystems.
The expansion is being led by Chtrbox managing director and CEO and the former country head of Tiktok India Raj Mishra, who built the short-video platform’s creator network from scratch before it was banned. He will steer creator acquisition, partnerships with platforms and brands, and potential investments and M&A in the region.
“The creator economy is moving beyond borders, and the real opportunity lies in connecting markets like India and the Middle East,” Mishra said, calling Dubai a launchpad for talent exchange, partnerships and capital.
Qyou Media CEO and co-founder Curt Marvis, Chtrbox’s parent, said the Middle East push marks a key step in building a global creator platform, pairing Mishra’s scaling experience with Dubai’s role as a gateway to one of the fastest-growing influencer markets.
From its new base, Chtrbox plans to deepen collaboration between Indian and Middle Eastern creators, support brands operating across both regions and play a bigger role in shaping the Gulf’s fast-evolving digital content and influencer-marketing scene.
The company said it would continue to prioritise disciplined growth and governance as it takes its creator-economy model beyond India.
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.
