In 1894, three siblings from a cobbler town of Zlin in the Czech Republic started a family business. Tomas, Antonin, and Anna Bata started the Bata Corporation. The next year, Antonin left to join the army, Anna got married leaving Tomas to manage the company. The rest is history but Bata, according to online articles, has sold more than 14 billion pairs of shoes.
Bata has been in Kenya (its Africa's regional office) for 80 years and currently has 2,200 employees and 12 stores. It has always been led by a revolving door of Caucasian men. But now it has a new boss; female, black, by the name of Jeddidah Thotho. A corporate finance graduate of St Mary's University in the US, Jeddidah did an 11-year stint at Sears Holdings leaving as director to come back home 10 years ago where she did a six-year stint at Deacons as Director of Retail before joining Liberty Eagle Holdings. She spoke to JACKSON BIKO at their factory in Limuru.
