International Federation of Robotics elects Jane Heffner as President

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) on Thursday, July 2, elected Jane Heffner as the new President, who will be taking over the rotating presidency from Takayuki Ito of Fanuc Corporation, the federation said in a press release.

“The global robotics industry is at an important inflection point, driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and automation. We will continue to build on the excellent work that Takayuki Ito has done as ambassador of the global robotics industry,” she said in a statement.

Heffner has over two decades of leadership experience, including in automation, robotics, automotive, and aerospace. At present, she holds the position of Global Vice President of Channel Communication at Boston-headquartered Teradyne Robotics, a global provider of collaborative industrial and autonomous mobile robots.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Takayuki for his outstanding leadership and dedication since taking office in 2024,” she added. Takayuki serves as the Chief Technical Advisor within FANUC Corporation’s Robot Research and Development Division.

Meanwhile, the federation has also appointed Adrien Brouillard as its new Vice President, who heads the robotics division at Stäubli as Executive President.

Brouillard has worked for over 15 years at the Swiss company Stäubli in various leadership roles. Last September, he moved from his role as Global Head of Business for General Industry and Customer Services to become Executive President of the robotics division.

He will work alongside Heffner to advance the federation’s mission as the global demand for automation continues to grow, the IFR said.