Bata Group on Monday announced the appointment of Panos Mytaros as its new global chief executive officer (CEO) from September 15, as Sandeep Kataria steps down from his post.
Mytaros brings over 30 years of global leadership experience in the footwear and leather industry.
He will join Bata following his stint at ECCO, where he held several senior positions including, most recently, the post of a CEO from 2021 to 2024.
Announcing the decision, Graham Allan, chairman of the Bata Group said that Panos is a proven leader with deep industry knowledge and a passion for footwear craftsmanship.
“His track record in brand building and developing compelling footwear collections, as well as in leading complex international organizations, made him the ideal candidate to guide Bata through our next phase of growth,” he said.
Kataria was the first Indian CEO of the Swiss footwear major and led the group since 2020. He has been a part of the company since 2017.
Kataria also led Bata India and has been credited for a turnaround of the company in a short span of time.
Under his leadership, Bata India doubled its profits, mainly driven by double-digit topline growth. It also sponsored some of the most ingenious campaigns, including ‘Surprisingly Bata’, which revamped Bata’s image as a more vibrant and contemporary brand, targeted at younger consumers.
He was also instrumental in digitising the firm’s operations.
Bata is India’s biggest footwear firm by revenues as well as volumes. It has an annual turnover of around Rs 3,554 crore and sells about 50 million pairs every year through over 1,960 stores. India is expected to be Bata’s second-largest sourcing and design hub after Italy.
The shoe market in India has been witnessing an intense competition with relatively new brands like New Balance and Asics, targeting to capture a chunk of the market.