When Yonatan Bursztyn founded the backpack brand Totto in 1987 in Bogota, Colombia, there was seemingly only one way to organize the company: in the hierarchical, top-down structure of almost every other business at that time, with a clear chain of command and authority up to the CEO. Three decades on, Totto has grown into a 3,000-employee company with 600 stores, making it one of Latin America’s top-selling backpack brands. But a new generation is questioning that traditional management structure, starting with the owner’s son, Benny Bursztyn ’19. “The old thinking was how companies protect their market share,” says the younger Bursztyn, age 29. “With the internet and increased competition from startups, big companies need to adapt to be more nimble and innovative. As the saying goes, ‘innovate or die.’”
Stephen Kurczy
