MAM
Ranjan Kapur throws light on future advertising trends at AAAI seminar
MUMBAI: Perhaps the most enthralling of all the speakers at the Advertising Agencies Association of India’s (AAAI) Diamond Jubilee celebrations’ conference was WPP country manager Ranjan Kapur, who gave the keynote address and had the audience in rapt attention.
Speaking on what makes successful brands, he said that brands were not made in the era of shortages, but in the era of plenty. “Those brands that were built in the era of shortage must reinvent themselves and reassess the brand loyalty that they have in the market. The brand of the future will be built in the 21st century,” he said.
Kapur also emphasized on the fact that one thing that the industry needed to watch out for were media independents. “They are going to become the 360 degree agencies of the future as they have strategic planning muscle, are rich on data and are privy to ad spend of companies,” he said.
He stressed on the fact that in three to five years’ time, there will be a divide among people who want to be rich and those who want to be famous. “It is in our hands to grab the opportunity to become rich and famous at the same time,” Kapur said.
Another emerging section that the industry must watch out for was mobile telephony. “The way we consume content is going to change. Mobile telephony is going to play a big role in our lives. Every form of content from every medium will be privy to the mobile very soon,” he said.
“The Indian broadcast industry lacks interactivity and is moreover a one way medium. The day they complete the loop, it will be great and mobile telephony will help in doing that. One reason why American Idol or Indian Idol is so popular is because of the interactivity. Broadcast media should enter the mind space of the consumer away from home. Mobility and content combined is the way ahead,” Kapur emphasised.
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.
