MAM
Nadal joins poker site Pokerstars as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Just ahead of the start of Wimbledon multiple Grand Slam tennis champion, Rafael Nadal has joined online poker site PokerStars, lending his support to the site and inviting sports fans to join him in playing the popular game of poker.
Nadal is keen to learn the game of poker. Through mentorship with PokerStars pros and playing online, Rafa will draw on many of the skills he uses to such great effect on the tennis court to improve his game one step at a time.
Nadal said, “It‘s no secret that I love to compete and try my very best in everything, whether that‘s tennis, golf or video games. When I discovered the game of poker, I chose to join PokerStars because they understand what it takes to be the best and associate themselves with the qualities of champions. I‘m very happy to be working with them.”
Nadal will play poker in spare moments this summer while he concentrates on tennis. Later in the year, he will be able to devote more time to poker and be representing PokerStars in online tournaments, in advertising campaigns and at charity events. Details of these will be announced in the coming months.
PokerStars chairman of the board Mark Scheinberg said, “Rafa Nadal represents all that is great about competition – the mix of talent, intellect, dedication and mental strength that you find in champions in every sport. We are proud to have Rafa as an ambassador for the brand and excited at the opportunity to help him enjoy and improve his game.”
Nadal joins athletes who have chosen poker as their “other game” and who play with PokerStars, including other Olympic medallists.
Nadal will play a key role in introducing new players to the game of poker, particularly in Spain where online poker is surging in popularity following the recent awarding of government licenses to operate online poker.
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.
