Panos Mytaros to take over as Bata Group CEO, succeeding Sandeep Kataria
New Delhi: Multinational footwear maker Bata Group on Monday announced the appointment of Panos Mytaros as its new global chief executive officer, effective 15 September 2025, replacing Sandeep Kataria, who has led the company since 2020.
Mytaros brings over 30 years of global experience in the footwear and leather industry. He joins Bata after an over three-decade career at Danish shoe maker ECCO, where he held several senior positions, including, most recently, chief executive officer from 2021 to 2024.
Following his university studies in Germany, he began his career with a Dutch tannery group. His expertise soon led him to ECCO Indonesia, where he took on the role of tannery director. In 2002, he moved back to Europe, where he was instrumental in transforming the ECCO Leather Group into a significant international presence.
Meanwhile, Kataria has helmed Bata through a significant period of transformation, navigating the challenges of a global pandemic and a fast-evolving retail landscape, the company said in a statement Monday announcing the new appointment.
Kataria was named the company's global chief executive in 2020—making him the first Indian to be elevated to the global role at Bata.
Kataria joined Bata in August 2017 as its chief executive officer for India operations after serving as chief commercial officer at Vodafone. Kataria 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, which runs the popular KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants, as CMO and earlier general manager—roles he held in India and overseas respectively.
Under his leadership, Bata accelerated its digital agenda, streamlined operations, expanded into new markets, modernized business practices, and laid the foundations for future growth.
'Panos is a proven leader with deep industry knowledge and a passion for footwear craftsmanship,' Graham Allan, chairman of the Bata Group, said in the statement. '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. We are delighted to welcome Panos to the Bata Group,' said Allan.
The Bata Shoe Company was founded in Zlín, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), in 1894 by Tomáš Baťa, his brother Antonín, and his sister Anna. It started as a small family shoemaking business. The company has over 5,000 retail stores globally with over 34 factories, as per the company's website.
Bata is present in over 70 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America. Key markets include India, Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Switzerland, Kenya, South Africa, and various countries in Southeast Asia.
It sells footwear brands such as North Star, Scholl, Bubblegummers, Power, among others.
India is among the key markets for Bata, where it sells close to 50 million pairs of shoes annually. Its expansive retail network consists of 1,900 stores, both company-owned and franchises.
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