KOLKATA: Footwear major Bata India Limited on Friday announced the appointment of Gunjan Shah as its new chief executive officer. Shah will be at the helm of the brand’s operations in India. He takes over from Sandeep Kataria who was elevated as the Global CEO of Bata Brands.

Shah will join Bata in June and will be based out of Gurugram.

In his previous role, Shah was the chief commercial officer at Britannia Industries. He spent the early stages of his career working with brands such as Asian Paints and Motorola before moving on to Britannia in 2007. He carries extensive experience working across varied sectors spanning Consumer Durables, Telecom, and FMCG and brings to the table an innate knack for understanding consumers, passion for action, people development experience, and clarity of thought and purpose, the company said on Friday.

“I am delighted to welcome Gunjan on board as Bata India’s new CEO. Over the past few years, we have been consistently delivering strong growth in the highly competitive footwear market. Backed by decades of experience working with powerhouse brands, Gunjan understands the Indian market’s complexities and varied nuances. I’m confident that he will add value and strengthen Bata’s position in the Indian market,” said Bata India Ltd chairman Ashwani Windlass.

“India has always been a significant market for us from a global perspective,” said Bata Brands global CEO Sandeep Kataria. “A dynamic leader like Gunjan will spearhead the company’s operations in India and given his extensive experience and track record, I am confident that he will take the Bata brand to even greater heights and deliver strong growth.”

Shah holds a Bachelor of Technology (Computers) from VJTI, Mumbai, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.

 “I feel both honored and humbled on being appointed as the CEO of India’s favorite footwear brand and on the confidence reposed in me by the board. As an iconic brand, Bata has become an integral part of the Indian fabric. I realize that I have big shoes to fill in and I’m thrilled about working with the talented & experienced Bata team. I look forward to building on the legacy of my predecessors in taking the Bata brand to new heights alongside creating long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders in the company,” Shah added.