Footbalance, the maker of custom-molded insoles, announced that Matt Kaplan was appointed its president and managing director for its North American subsidiary. Kaplan most recently served as vice president and business director for Suunto North America, leading strategic planning and overall operations to drastically grow the sales force and distribution channels to achieve record sales and profits.

“Matt is an excellent relationship builder,” says Footbalance Chairman of the Board Roger Talermo “He comes to us with such high rapport and established contacts at key North American retailers.� Were thrilled to have him at the helm in the USA and Canada.”

Kaplan has 17 years of experience in the outdoor, snowsports, action sports and endurance sports industries.� He has a Master’s Degree in International Business Management and a degree in International Studies.

“It’s great to get started establishing a more definitive presence for Footbalance in North America,” says Kaplan. “Being able to offer the best solution for performance and comfort issues is exciting, and Im looking forward to implementing a plan for refining and strengthening key markets to elevate the brand and ignite sales.”

Kaplan is from Boulder, Colorado and enjoys surfing, snowboarding, skiing, trail running, triathlons and Crossfit workouts.

Based in Helsinki, Finland, the Footbalance System was developed by Erkki Hakkala, a physiotherapist specialized in podiatric medicine. Tested by 50 doctors on more than 3000 patients, the system enables the rapid production of fully customized insoles at an ordinary retail shop in less than ten minutes at a cost-effective price.