MAM
Global ad expenditure slated to rise; Zenith Optimedia
LONDON: Global advertising expenditure is now expected to rise by a total of 3.2 per cent in 2003. These new figures released by media buying giant Zenith Optimedia indicate a slight increase on previous forecasts.
By contrast, the Zenith Optimedia report states that the television advertising market is showing no sign of recovery and is unlikely to do so until next year.
The report states that the increase has driven by growth in the US economy and a surge in demand for poster advertising around the world.
The Zenith Optimedia report states that while the situation in the US continues to improve, Europe is still some months from following the US lead.
“The US was the first in to the advertising downturn and is the first out. In Europe we’re seeing a bit of a delay. But there’s also been a bit more spending in Europe than expected,” said Jonathan Barnard, knowledge management manager at Zenith Optimedia.
In the UK, Zenith predicts growth of just 0.5 per cent on the previous year, a drop in real terms of 2.4 per cent once inflation is taken into account. Demand for press advertising remains slow with “no real growth in prospect” according to the report, with sectors such as financial advertising down 14 per cent since the beginning of the year.
The report adds that the billboard market, shot up by 17 per cent in the first quarter of the year 2003 and by 6 per cent in the second quarter. The growth, which Barnard said was chiefly down to improvements in the quality of stock offered by outdoor contractors and new advertisers using the medium for the first time, has led to Zenith raising its sector growth forecast for the year from 6 per cent to 8 per cent.
Television advertising spend will witness a growth in 2004 and this will be driven by football’s 2004 European Championships in Portugal.
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.
