Leadership move underscores Metro Brands’ growing focus on sports retail, athleisure and premium consumer experiences
Mumbai: Metro Brands Limited, one of India’s leading footwear specialty retailers, has promoted Meenakshi Samantaray to the position of Vice President – Sports Marketing & Visual Merchandising, reinforcing the company’s commitment to accelerating growth across its expanding sports and athleisure portfolio.
In her elevated role, Meenakshi will spearhead the strategic direction of Metro Brands’ sports business while leading integrated marketing, brand communications and visual merchandising initiatives aimed at enhancing consumer engagement and strengthening the retailer’s premium brand positioning.
Having joined Metro Brands in 2024 as Assistant Vice President – Marketing & Visual Merchandising, Meenakshi has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s sports retail strategy. She has successfully led marketing and brand development for key international labels including FILA, Foot Locker, MetroActiv and New Era, while driving the successful launch of Foot Locker, MetroActiv and New Era in India. Her efforts have also contributed significantly to repositioning FILA within India’s rapidly expanding athleisure market.
Over the past two years, she has been instrumental in building Metro Brands’ sports and lifestyle ecosystem by delivering same-store sales growth, strengthening brand profitability and implementing consumer-centric marketing strategies. Her leadership spans digital-first campaigns, CRM and loyalty programmes, retail branding, visual merchandising, community-led engagement initiatives, and strategic collaborations with athletes, sneaker communities, fashion influencers and brand partners.
Beyond marketing, Meenakshi has also played a key role in strengthening corporate communications, public relations and category-building initiatives, helping reinforce Metro Brands’ position in India’s evolving premium sports retail landscape.
Prior to joining Metro Brands, Meenakshi spent nearly five years with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, where she held several senior marketing and communications leadership roles across the ZEE Network. She led integrated marketing, public relations, trade marketing, strategic partnerships and corporate branding initiatives while also spearheading the marketing and communications strategy for the International League T20 (ILT20) in collaboration with the Emirates Cricket Board, franchise teams, broadcasters and commercial partners.
Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions with ACC Cement, Future Group, and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), building extensive expertise across brand management, shopper marketing, digital marketing, corporate communications, CSR, media planning, retail activation and integrated marketing campaigns.
With over 15 years of experience spanning retail, FMCG, media and sports marketing, Meenakshi has established herself as a seasoned marketing professional with expertise in brand strategy, consumer engagement, visual merchandising, category development, strategic partnerships, customer loyalty, business growth and omni-channel marketing.
Her elevation comes at a significant time as Metro Brands continues to strengthen its footprint in India’s fast-growing sports, athleisure and premium lifestyle retail segments. As consumer demand for performance footwear and lifestyle brands continues to accelerate, the company is investing in experienced leadership to drive innovation, enhance in-store experiences and build stronger connections with the next generation of consumers.
