IFR appoints new president

Takayuki Ito (Fanuc Corporation) succeeds Marina Bill (ABB), who has held the rotating position since 2022. 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. Since 1981, Takayuki Ito has held various positions at FANUC: In 1997, he became Executive Vice President for Fanuc Robotics in North America at the Detroit site. In 2002, he returned to 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 Global Sales at Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a leading manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots. In this role, Heffner is responsible for the company's global sales strategy from Detroit. Before joining MiR, Heffner held leadership positions at ABB Robotics and other large industrial companies.