Bata India has appointed Anjali Bansal as an Independent Director and Nitesh Kumar as Managing Director – Retail on the Board of Bata India Limited with effect from May 21, 2014. Atul Singh, who held the responsibility of an Independent Director on the Board for more than three years, has resigned from the Bata India Board and will now be joining the Bata Compass Board.
Bansal is the Managing Director of Spencer Stuart’s Indian business, which she was instrumental in establishing. Based in Mumbai, she also co-led the firm’s Asia Pacific Board & CEO practice. She works in various geographies across the United States, Europe and Asia, advising companies on Board governance, CEO and senior executive search and succession planning. Presently, she is on the Board of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and also a member of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry and CII. Before joining Spencer Stuart, Bansal was with McKinsey & Company based in New York and Mumbai. She received a Master’s Degree in International Affairs, with distinction, from Columbia University, where she majored in International Finance and Business, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Gujarat University.
Kumar joined Bata India in the year 2003 from McDowell & Co. (presently USL Limited) and served as the Vice President – Retail from Nov’09 to Dec’12. Thereafter, he was appointed as the Managing Director – Bata Shoe Company (Thailand) and subsequently as the Managing Director – Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) till March 2014. He has over 11 years of experience in Retail– Profit, Sales, Business Development, Expansion, Merchandising and Buying. Kumar will be responsible for the Bata retail stores with a focus on store expansion and growth of existing stores. According to the company officials, he will be supporting Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, Group Managing Director – Bata Emerging Markets – India.
Commenting on the aforesaid changes in the Board of Directors, Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, Group Managing Director, Bata Emerging Markets, Bata India Limited, said: “The appointment of. Anjali Bansal as Independent Director and Kumar Nitesh as Managing Director – Retail, will surely add value to our Board deliberations and strategic decision making process. I am delighted to have both of them as my colleagues on the Board.”
Bata India claims to be the largest footwear retailer in India retailing through over 1,400 stores located in over 500 cities across India.
