Shaji Thekkayil

Career arc

1. Head of sales Middle East and AfricaMar 2026 — Present

   Clarks· Full-time
2. Senior ConsultantMay 2025 — Feb 2026

   Impact leaders· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Full-time
3. Interim Country Lead - VPDec 2024 — Mar 2025

   Central Group· Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia· Full-time
4. Head of Strategic Businesses and Brands - SVPAug 2023 — Nov 2024

   Metro Brands Limited· Mumbai
5. Head of Perfomance and outdoor brands - VPJan 2023 — Aug 2023

   Central Group· Bangkok· Full-time
6. Director, outdoor brands and skechersApr 2022 — Dec 2022

   Central Group· Full-time
7. Head of outdoor brands, crocs and lead D&L planningAug 2021 — May 2022

   Central Group· Thailand· Full-time
8. Head of outdoor, crocs and running brandsMar 2020 — Jul 2021

   Central Group· Full-time
9. AVP - Crocs and MerrellNov 2018 — Mar 2020

   Central Group· Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand· Full-time
10. Co-founder and consultantSep 2017 — Oct 2018

    Shaaz products Fze· Dubai, United Arab Emirates· Self-employed
11. Regional head, merchandising and business lead - Middle east and AfricaJul 2016 — Aug 2017

    Crocs· Dubai Emirate, United Arab Emirates
12. Regional Sales Manager and head of channel Merchandise - Middle East and Africa (16 countries)Jun 2015 — Jun 2016

    Crocs· Dubai
13. Regional Merchandising and Operations ManagerMar 2013 — May 2015

    Crocs
14. Manager: product, planning & procurment (Middle East)Apr 2011 — Feb 2013

    Crocs, Inc· Dubai
15. Sales Support ManagerMay 2008 — Apr 2011

    Crocs

Education

• Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
  Senior management programDec 2023 — Jan 2025
• Jaipur National University
  Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) · Integrated Business planning & operations2013 — 2014
• University of Calicut
  Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) · Business managment & accountingPresent

About

With over 20 years of cross-regional experience, I’ve built and scaled some of the world’s most loved brands — including Crocs, Reebok, New Balance, Merrell, Columbia, Puma, Adidas, and Birkenstock — across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India. My leadership spans the full spectrum of retail: DTC, franchise, distributor, mono-brand, multi-brand, and e-commerce/social commerce. Recent add, AI integrations to retail. At Crocs, I led commercial and merchandising operations across the Middle East and Africa, playing a key role in growing it from a single kiosk into a $100M+ brand in the region. From launching new brands to entering untapped markets, I’ve driven P&L ownership, supply chain optimization, commercial turnaround, and strategic retail expansion. At Central Group (Thailand) a

Share this move