FRANKFURT / CHICAGO, July 2, 2026 — Jane Heffner has been elected as the new president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Heffner is taking over the rotating presidency from Takayuki Ito of Fanuc Corporation. The new president holds the position of global vice president of Channel Communication at Teradyne Robotics. Her new vice president, Adrien Brouillard, heads the robotics division at Stäubli as executive president. He completes the federation's new leadership team.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Takayuki Ito for his outstanding leadership and dedication since taking office in 2024," Heffner said in a statement following her election. "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 has done as ambassador of the global robotics industry."
Experienced new IFR president
Jane Heffner has more than two decades of leadership experience, including in automation, robotics, automotive, and aerospace. While assuming her new leadership role at IFR, she will continue in her position at Teradyne Robotics, a global provider of collaborative industrial and autonomous mobile robots. Teradyne is headquartered in North Reading, Massachusetts, near Boston.
Vice President Adrien Brouillard
With his extensive international experience in automation, Adrien Brouillard will strengthen the executive team. The French national has worked for over 15 years at the Swiss company Stäubli in various leadership roles. He served as global head of Business for General Industry & Customer Services before taking over as executive president of the robotics division in September of last year. He will work alongside Heffner to advance the federation’s mission as the global demand for automation continues to grow.
