OrthoLite Adds Talent to Global Foam Innovation Team

Shaw Kiat Phua and Ha Pham bring decades of innovation, chemical and foaming expertise

AMHERST, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the heart of OrthoLite’s ongoing quest for excellence in insole manufacturing is the company’s Global Foam Innovation Team. Hanson Zhang, OrthoLite’s Chief Chemist, founded and leads the Global Foam Innovation Team with Wen Bin Hong, OrthoLite’s Chemical Director. Today, two new pinnacle hires join that team to continue to raise the bar OrthoLite set in the category it founded 27 years ago.

Leading the charge on the expansion of OrthoLite’s Global Foam Innovation team is Shaw Kiat (SK) Phua, who will serve in the newly-created role of Global Operations Chemical Director. In addition, OrthoLite welcomes Ha Pham, a seasoned polyurethane (PU) specialist, to the Global Foam Innovation team.

Phua joins OrthoLite from leadership roles at Huntsman, BASF and ECCO. He brings unmatched expertise in global foaming operations and innovation as well as excellence in manufacturing to the role. Phua will ensure chemical innovation, consistency and transparency globally and will also be involved in setting the strategic direction for OrthoLite PU material development with a focus on sustainable innovations in footwear. Phua is based in Singapore and will regularly travel to all of OrthoLite’s manufacturing facilities.

Pham joins OrthoLite from Brooks Running, where he served as Global Chemical Engineering Manager, and prior to that, ECCO, as global PU advisor. Additionally, Pham has held leadership roles at BASF Vietnam as Technical Development Manager for PU footwear systems.

“We’ve built our reputation on continuing to improve our exceptional foam materials and products since our founding,” explains Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of OrthoLite. “We push the envelope with our proprietary chemistry, our patented foaming processes, our six manufacturing locations and the incredible people who work at our facilities around the world.”

“We are proud to welcome SK and Ha to our world-class team to drive innovation in our global foaming operations,” said Richard Bevan, Vice President of Global Operations at OrthoLite. “SK and Ha bring to OrthoLite decades of experience in performance foam innovation as well as best-in-class manufacturing leadership.”

OrthoLite’s products can be found in more than 600 million pairs of footwear a year. OrthoLite is a U.S.-owned and operated company and has owned production facilities in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, India and Brazil, ensuring its global team can work locally with its brand partners wherever they manufacture shoes. OrthoLite has a stalwart commitment to improvement on its ongoing journey toward producing excellence with less-impactful manufacturing practices. Learn more at ortholite.com.

About OrthoLite®

OrthoLite is the world’s leading supplier of open-cell foam technology, and the innovator and creator of Cirql™, the sustainable materials solutions provider that provides footwear brands and their factory partners with the most sustainable, circular choice in materials. OrthoLite’s innovative footwear solutions are available to brands that share a vision for the future of sustainable footwear. OrthoLite is found in more than 550 footwear brands across all categories of footwear. The company also has a long-standing history of meaningful partnerships and sponsorships that demonstrate a dedicated commitment to supporting its customers, consumers, brand partners and the footwear industry. OrthoLite is the Official Insole sponsor of the New York Yankees, supporter of The Conservation Alliance, The European Outdoor Conservation Association, and is a founding supporter of the Two Ten Foundation. Stay up to date with company news by visiting OrthoLite.com and following OrthoLite on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. To learn more about the benefits of OrthoLite, visit www.ortholite.com.