OrthoLite®, the global leader in branded, high-performance comfort footwear solutions, has announced the appointment of Raj Santhana as the new Vice President of Operational Excellence. In this role, Santhana will be a key member of OrthoLite’s global operations management team, focusing on enhancing manufacturing excellence and innovation, as well as spearheading automation and digital transformation initiatives. He will collaborate closely with the company’s esteemed Global Foam Innovation Team from a new satellite office in Singapore, furthering OrthoLite’s commitment to developing and producing the world’s finest and most reliable footwear foams.
With over 20 years of experience in the footwear and manufacturing sectors, Santhana most recently served as the Global Head of Quality at Bata in Singapore. Before that, he spent seven years at Adidas, where he held director-level positions overseeing quality control and manufacturing excellence in footwear.
“Raj brings a wealth of expertise in the footwear industry, along with two engineering degrees, making him essential for driving operational excellence across our global team of 3,200 employees at OrthoLite’s owned manufacturing facilities worldwide,” said Richard Bevan, COO of OrthoLite.
In addition to Santhana’s appointment, Shaw Kiat Phua has been promoted to Vice President of Global Foaming, leading OrthoLite’s Global Foam Innovation Team. In his new role, Phua will focus on advancing OrthoLite’s market position as the first and most trusted name in comfort and performance footwear foams. He will oversee the strategic direction for OrthoLite’s polyurethane material development, emphasizing sustainable innovations in footwear. Phua will continue to report to Bevan and is also based in Singapore, regularly traveling to OrthoLite’s manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Europe, India, and Brazil.
Since its inception in 1997, OrthoLite has been dedicated to driving innovation and continuous improvement in foam footwear products and materials, ensuring consistent quality, scalability, and timely delivery to over 550 footwear brand partners.
OrthoLite has established a strong reputation for innovation, reliability, and capacity. The company is renowned for its collaborative approach to developing custom insole formulations with the world’s leading footwear brands, delivering unmatched comfort and performance. OrthoLite insoles serve as the crucial link between shoe design and consumer expectations, featuring in over 600 million pairs of footwear annually.
