eVent Fabrics, which offers waterproof and breathable fabric technology, is doubling down on its PFAS-free laminate offerings by hiring textile engineer and R&D leader Cathy Shao to fill its newly created role as innovation director.
Shao will develop next-gen fabric to drive the innovation of cutting-edge, sustainable laminates, while also helping to expand and improve the eVent BIO and alpine ST collections. As global regulations and customer sentiment drive the demand for PFAS-free performance laminates, the timing is perfect for bringing new high-performance all-weather apparel, footwear, and accessory innovations for outdoor activities including run, bike, ski, hike, sail, hunt, fish and golf to market.
“Cathy brings a wealth of experience and talent to the eVent team and we’re looking forward to having her help us reach our goals of offering the highest-performance fluorine-free fabric technologies that meet or exceed global regulations and customer expectations,” said Chad Kelly, the president of eVent Fabrics. “Our mission is clear and we are certain Cathy will be a true asset as eVent continually looks to innovate beyond the status quo and defy the boundaries of possibilities.”
In her previous roles, Cathy worked as a senior engineer and R&D leader in various textile companies, including over 10 years with Dupont China. She has specialized in research and development of textile fibers and yarns based on different polymers, such as bio-based polymers, Sorona, PA56 and more. Her abundant experience in polymer material science, strong sense of new innovations and well-established network will bring great value to eVent Fabrics.
She will continue the development and expansion of eVent BIO and alpineST as well as exploring new fabrics and membrane technologies.
