Ray Castaneda

Joining the company in 1999 as a high school co-op student, Ray was later hired as part of Smith’s Operations team for consignment services. In 2001, he was promoted to QC Specialist, where he helped enhance our visual-inspection processes before being promoted to the role of QC supervisor in 2010. In that role, Ray was instrumental in building and developing Smith’s first counterfeit-detection lab from the ground up. He was named Director of Operations and Counterfeit Detection, North America in 2014 and to his current position in 2024.

“I have been on a remarkable journey since my first day at Smith, and it is an honor to be in the position I am in today,” said Ray. “Over the years, Smith has developed a variety of programs and resources to help our employees thrive, and I am proud to support these efforts within our department.”

As Vice President of Operations and Quality, NA and EMEA, Ray oversees Smith’s operational activities and strategy at our distribution centers in Houston and Amsterdam and supports the growth and development of the department’s workforce.

“My goal is to continue moving our operational efforts forward, with a focus on automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics,” said Ray. “These innovations will help foster greater efficiency and efficacy within our operations and empower our leadership to make strategic decisions for our organization.”

Outside of work, Ray spends most of his free time with his wife and young daughter.