MAM
Rei Inamoto is ADFEST 2015’s Grand Jury president
MUMBAI: Worldwide chief creative officer and vice president Rei Inamoto at AKQA has joined ADFEST 2015 as its Grand Jury president.
Originally from Tokyo and now based in New York, Inamoto has been instrumental in putting AKQA on the map as one of the world’s most formidable agencies whose clients include Audi, Nike and Red Bull, among other leading brands. He oversees AKQA’s creative vision and output globally and played a pivotal role in the agency’s selection as one of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies as well as multiple Agency of the Year accolades.
“The true insight of this highly technological world we live in is this: the most powerful force in our universe isn’t technology, it’s imagination,” said Inamoto.
He added, “It’s our imagination that allows technology to advance our industry, society and most importantly, humanity. As Grand Jury President of ADFEST 2015, I look forward to witnessing the most imaginative ideas that force us into the next chapter of our universe.”
Inamoto helped launched AKQA in New York in 2004 and now provides global creative leadership across all of AKQA’s 14 offices. He has been named twice on Creativity Magazine’s annual “Creativity 50”list, was named one of “The Top 25 Most Creative People in Advertising” by Forbes, and was inducted into “The Hall of Achievement” by the American Advertising Federation.
“Rei is without doubt one of the most influential thought leaders in the creative industry today. As Grand Jury President, his responsibilities are large – not only will he preside over all 18 Lotus categories, he will also oversee a super panel of Jury Presidents judging the Integrated Lotus, INNOVA Lotus, and the very unique Lotus Roots categories. We can’t wait to welcome him to Thailand next year,” said ADFEST president Jimmy Lam.
ADFEST 2015 will take place from 19 to 21 March at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand.
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.
