BackSandeep Kataria takes over as Bata's global CEO
Kataria takes over from Alexis Nasard, who is stepping down after almost five years in the role
PremiumNew Delhi: The Bata Shoe Organization on Monday announced the appointment of Sandeep Kataria, the shoe manufacturer and retailer’s India chief executive officer, as its global chief executive—becoming the first Indian to take up the job at the over 120-year-old shoemaker.
Kataria’s appointment has been announced with immediate effect, the company informed the press on Monday.
Kataria takes over from Alexis Nasard, who is stepping down after almost five years in the role.
The company did not, however, announce an immediate successor to Kataria.
Ashwani Windlass, continues to be chairman, Bata India Ltd; while Rajeev Gopalakrishnan its managing director.
Under his role, Kataria will oversee operations in 70 markets where the Lausanne, Switzerland-headquartered Bata retails footwear.
Kataria joined Bata in August 2017 as its chief executive officer after serving as chief commercial officer at Vodafone. In his nearly twenty-five year-long career, the IIT-Delhi alumni, has worked across large consumer-facing businesses including Hindustan Unilever where Kataria spent nearly two decades across India and the company’s global sites. He also worked with Yum! Brands that runs the popular KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants as CMO and earlier general manager—roles he held in India and overseas respectively. Kataria holds a PGDBM from XLRI (Jamshedpur).
Kataria joined when the company was already undergoing a renovation of stores, giving an uplift to its shops and adding new designs to appeal to younger shoe shoppers in India. A task he has since furthered.
In FY18, Bata India’s turnover stood at ₹2,636.32 crore; for the year ended March 2020, the company reported annual revenue of ₹3,053.45 crore. Profitability in the same period was up 46% with the company closing FY 2020 with Rs326.92 in net profit.
As the CEO of Bata India Ltd, Kataria has helped drive the company’s consistent growth and profitability. Bata India doubled its profits driven by double digit top-line growth, the company said in a statement to the press.
In India, Bata was set up in 1931 as Bata Shoe Company Private Limited and has since become synonymous with middle-class consumption.
As of March 2020, the retailer has 1,558 retail stores across India including franchise partners. In FY20, the company sold 49.39 million pairs of footwear here.
Ashwani Windlass, chairman, Bata India Ltd, said “I would like to congratulate Sandeep on his well-deserved promotion. Over the past few years, the India team has delivered exceptional growth in footwear volumes, revenues and profits, and has strengthened Bata’s customer measures in a highly competitive footwear market. The Bata Group and Bata India both stand to benefit greatly from Sandeep’s extensive experience."
Globally, the company was founded in Czechoslovakia in 1894 and is currently headquartered in Lausanne , Switzerland. Bata remains a family-owned business selling more than 180 million pairs of shoes annually in 5,800 stores with 22 Bata-owned manufacturing facilities. Bata operates in more than 70 countries and has 35,000 employees.
Kataria joins the growing league of Indians who have risen to take on global roles including Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, and RB’s Laxman Narasimhan.
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