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Metro Brands is strengthening its leadership team as it sharpens its focus on India's fast-growing sports and athleisure market. The footwear retailer has appointed Manoj Juneja as Chief Business Officer for its sports division, entrusting him with the growth of a portfolio that includes FILA, Foot Locker, New Era, and the company's in-house MetroActiv brand.
Juneja brings over 27 years of experience spanning retail, footwear, fashion and consumer businesses, having held leadership roles across several global sportswear and lifestyle brands. He joins Metro Brands from Crocs, where he served as Country Manager for India and the SAARC region since September 2024, overseeing an $80 million business and an 80-member team. During his tenure, the company transitioned from two years of flat volumes to double-digit growth while increasing direct-to-consumer sales to more than 30 per cent of overall revenue.
Prior to Crocs, Juneja was Chief Operating Officer for Reebok at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL), where he became the brand's first leadership hire following its acquisition in India. He built a 90-member organisation from the ground up to relaunch the brand commercially, helping double revenue within the first year while achieving EBITDA profitability ahead of plan.
His career also includes leadership roles at Timex Group India and more than seven years at Adidas Group, where he served as Senior Director – Sales and Ecommerce, managing a combined Adidas and Reebok business valued at over $140 million. Over the years, he has worked across sales, distribution, retail operations, ecommerce and business transformation, with a strong focus on scaling consumer brands.
In his new role, Juneja will lead Metro Brands' sports business strategy, driving expansion across its brand portfolio, strengthening partnerships with global labels, and enhancing consumer experience across physical stores and omnichannel platforms. The appointment reflects the company's continued investment in the sports and athleisure segment, which has emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories in India's footwear and lifestyle market.
The leadership move comes as Metro Brands looks to accelerate the growth of its sports vertical by leveraging established international brands alongside its own MetroActiv label. With Juneja's track record of building and scaling sportswear businesses, the company is positioning itself to capture a larger share of India's expanding sports and performance footwear market.
