International Federation of Robotics
World Robotics Association has a new president
The Executive Board of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has elected Takayuki Ito as President. At the same time, Jane Heffner was appointed as the new Vice President of the IFR.
Takayuki Ito(Fanuc Corporation) succeeds Marina Bill(ABB), who has held the rotating post since 2022. "I am proud to continue the work of my predecessor Marina Bill, who has been a great ambassador for the world of robotics," says Takayuki Ito. "We are currently experiencing rapid change in the automation of industrial and service sectors worldwide. I look forward to our joint mission with Jane Heffner from Mobile Industrial Robots as the new Vice President of the IFR."
Takayuki Ito has more than 40 years of experience in the robotics industry. He currently works as Chief Technical Advisor at the robot manufacturer Fanuc Corporation in Oshino, Japan. Takayuki Ito has held various positions at Fanuc since 1981: in 1997 he became Executive Vice President for Fanuc Robotics in North America at the Detroit site. In 2002, he returned to the Fanuc headquarters in Japan and took on the role of General Manager for the Robot Technology Center.
The new Vice President of the IFR, Jane Heffner, has more than 20 years of experience in technology-oriented industries, including robotics, automation, automotive and aerospace. She is currently Vice President of Global Sales at Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots. In this role, Heffner is based in Detroit and is responsible for the company's global sales strategy. Prior to joining MiR, Heffner held leadership positions at ABB Robotics and other major industrial companies.
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