MAM
MindShare USA closes gap with top ranked Starcom Mediavest
MUMBAI: In India, it might be miles ahead but WPP group’s media behemoth MindShare is not Number One in the US. That is not to say it is not on its way to closing the gap with top ranked Starcom MediaVest group (owned by Publicis).
As part of its efforts to emerge as the largest US media buying entity in 2003, MindShare has taken in more than $500 million in media billings from new business gains in the first half of 2003. A report in mediapost.com says this has been the strongest performance in a year where major shifts have been conspicuous by their absence.
Starcom MediaVest meanwhile, has sustained a net media billings loss of more than $150 million, according to the first half 2002 edition of the MAP Barometer.
According to Advertising Age estimates based on RECMA (Research Reports on Media Agency Networks), MindShare placed $8.65 billion in US media buys during 2002. By comparison, Starcom MediaVest placed $10.85 billion.
After MindShare, Omnicom’s PHD unit and Publicis’ Zenith Optimedia group, rank as the next best net new business winners, with more than $200 million in incremental billings through the first half of 2003.
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.
