Staff Profile
IFR Elects Jane Heffner as President
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has elected Jane Heffner as its new president. She succeeds Takayuki Ito, who has completed his term. Adrien Brouillard is the new vice president of the global federation.
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has elected Jane Heffner as president of the global federation. She succeeds Takayuki Ito of Fanuc, who had held the position since 2024, as scheduled.
Heffner is Global Vice President of Channel Communication at Teradyne Robotics and will continue to serve in this role alongside her new volunteer position.
Jane Heffner has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the fields of automation, robotics, the automotive industry, and aerospace.
“The global robotics industry is at a major turning point, marked by rapid advances in the fields of artificial intelligence and automation,” Heffner said, outlining the priorities of her term. At the same time, she thanked her predecessor, Takayuki Ito, for his work at the helm of the association.
Adrien Brouillard Becomes Vice President
The IFR elected Adrien Brouillard as its new vice president. He is the executive president of the robotics division at the Swiss automation company Stäubli.
Brouillard has been with Stäubli for more than 15 years and has held various management positions there. Prior to his appointment as head of the robotics division, he served as Global Head of Business for the General Industry & Customer Services division.
Heffner and Brouillard are taking the helm of the IFR at a time of growing demand for automation and robotics solutions. The association represents manufacturers and national robotics associations worldwide and publishes, among other things, statistics and market analyses on the development of the robotics industry.
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