December 6, 2017 – The Executive Board of the IFR has elected Japanese Junji Tsuda (Yaskawa Electric Corporation) as its new President. Mr. Tsuda succeeds Joe Gemma (KUKA, USA), who is leaving the rotating post as head of the global federation of robot manufacturers, having served his two-year term. Steven Wyatt (ABB, Switzerland) has been appointed as IFR´s new Vice President.
The 66 year old Junji Tsuda is one of the most senior experts in the robotics industry. He serves as the Representative Director Chairman of the Board of the Japanese robot manufacturer Yaskawa Electric Corporation. Tsuda began working for Yaskawa in 1976, after obtaining his university degree (B.S.) in mechanical engineering at the renowned Tokyo Institute of Technology.
Since the 1990s, Tsuda has headed various America-related business units and has been active in the parent company since 2003. Before being elected President of IFR, Mr. Tsuda assisted his predecessor, Joe Gemma, as Vice-President, a role he held for two years.
The new elected Vice President, Steven Wyatt, is the global Head of Marketing & Sales for ABB’s Robotics Business Unit. Prior to joining ABB in 2010, Mr. Wyatt held a series of executive marketing & sales roles within the plastics industry globally. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh in his native Scotland. Steven Wyatt and Junji Tsuda were both elected by the IFR Executive Board which is composed of representatives of national robotics associations from all over the world, the IFR president and delegates of robot manufacturers and research institutes.
