Ajay Chadha

Global materials executive with 20+ years of end-to-end leadership in materials innovation, R&D, and sustainability strategy across the full value chain—spanning polymers, yarns, engineered textiles, and finished goods. Demonstrated success in leading high-impact initiatives for global brands in footwear, apparel, and technical textiles, with proven ability to deliver scalable, sustainable, and commercially viable material platforms. Expertise includes polymer engineering (Reliance Industries), functional yarns (Premier Fibers), technical textile systems (Edwards Lifesciences), performance/lifestyle product creation (Nike, Coach), and enterprise roadmap development (REI, Coach). Known for driving material innovation roadmaps, transforming early-stage R&D into commercial wins, and embedding a ‘Fabric First’ culture across product and sourcing teams. Patent holder with recognized contributions to medical implants and Olympic-level footwear. Adept at leading global teams, integrating PLM and digital color systems, and pioneering AI-led discovery in green chemistry.

• Six Sigma Black Belt
• PLM Systems (Centric, Flex)
• Adobe Illustrator
• Datacolor Tools
• Color Management Systems
• Textile Testing (AATCC, ISO, ASTM)
• GOTS
• GRS
• OEKO-TEX
• Bluesign
• Fabric Risk & Compliance
• Supplier Audits
• Digital Material Libraries

• Established a Textile Center of Excellence at Edwards Lifesciences, bringing in-house fabric processing technologies such as ultrasonic bonding, 3D laser cutting, sample warping, and weaving looms to accelerate product innovation and technical capability.
• Played a foundational role as the first Director of Materials Innovation for Coachtopia—a sub-brand launched by Coach to champion circular business models. Established core materials functions, developed scalable recycled and regenerative platforms, and led commercialization for market launch. Leveraged key trend insights to lead fabric innovation, costing, and positioning strategies that supported brand identity and value-driven product development at scale.
• Cross-industry collaboration: Served as Subject Matter Expert on staple fibers in a steering committee commissioned by the Laudes Foundation (formerly C&A Foundation, BCI Cotton) to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of using agricultural waste as feedstock for textiles.
• Orchestrated a 3-year enterprise materials innovation roadmap at REI, focused on climate-smart technologies, driving annual cost savings and enhancing product margin.
• Pioneered an AI-driven green chemistry discovery program with IBM to identify next-gen material solutions and accelerate R&D-to-market timelines.
• Strong educational background in textile materials and color science, including testing, standards, and failure analysis. (MS, Textiles – NC State College of Textiles; 10+ patents in materials and product innovations)

• Covered Prosthetic Heart Valve (US20220079750A1)
• Delivery Cylinder for Prosthetic Implant (US1166437B2)
• 3D Woven Footwear Structure (US11759317B2, Nike)
• Textured Woven Fabric for Bioprostheses (ES2995222T3)
• Super Fly Tokyo 2020: Lightweight Knitted Upper (WO 180218WO01)
• Docking Device with 3D Woven Fabric (US62/436866)
• Bi-Functional Cloth for THV (US62/268,363)