The SATRA SAFT team

Introducing the trainers who help SATRA Accredited Footwear Technologist students achieve their potential.

The SATRA Accredited Footwear Technologist qualification is a highly prized accolade that is well respected within the footwear industry. Here, we meet the team that provides such valuable insight into modern shoemaking techniques.

Mike Wilson is senior consultant with a 37-year career at SATRA. He has been a SAFT tutor for ten years in China, the USA and the UK, delivering the fitting and comfort module and contributing to the footwear construction and product design sections. Since 2008, Mike has been in charge of SATRA’s fitting services and is chairman of ISO TC137 footwear sizing.

Prior to joining SATRA, Phil Shaw worked in the footwear industry as both a designer and technician. On joining SATRA, he helped to develop its management services and over the following 25 years was involved in the launch of a number of successful products and services aimed at assisting manufacturers to produce footwear and leather products more efficiently, and with significant cost benefits. Phil oversees three SAFT modules: pattern cutting, grading and costing, footwear constructions and lean manufacturing.

Chris Bennett has been working in the provision of quality management systems for the past 25 years and has experience in a number of different businesses, ranging from automotive to warehousing. He is the tutor for the quality management systems and audit modules of SAFT, and is involved in preparing and marking examination questions.

Mark Southam joined SATRA in 1977 and has worked in a number of areas, including research, health and safety monitoring, physical testing and customer complaint arbitration. A regular presenter of training courses, Mark has been presenting SAFT for the last six years, covering the modules for materials, testing and risk assessment.

Having worked previously in the UK shoe industry, Stuart Irons has been a member of the SATRA team for the past 15 years, and is responsible for organising SAFT training in the UK and overseas. A Fellow of the Institute of Management Services, Stuart oversees SAFT modules on construction, pattern cutting, grading and costing, and lean manufacturing.

Mike George has been a tutor for SAFT during most of its history and presents the ‘solings’ part of the materials module when the course is held in the UK. Holding an honours degree in physics, he helped to author the course material and is involved in both preparing and marking the examination questions in his specialist area.

Darren Roberts has worked at SATRA for over 25 years – leaving to join a well-known global brand before returning to SATRA. He is currently head of the footwear testing department, specialising in safety and industrial footwear. Darren has been presenting SAFT for more than ten years, and covers the modules for quality assurance and industrial footwear.

Photograph above shows the SATRA SAFT team – from left: Mike Wilson, Phil Shaw, Chris Bennett, Mark Southam, Stuart Irons, Mike George and Darren Roberts.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 42 of the January 2016 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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