FANUC has appointed Andy Armstrong as Managing Director of FANUC UK and FANUC Ireland, with immediate effect.
Armstrong moves into the role after two years as Vice Managing Director for the UK and Ireland businesses. He succeeds Tom Bouchier, who will now focus on his position as FANUC’s Cluster Coordinator for Northern Europe.
The appointment is intended to support FANUC UK’s continued growth and its alignment with the company’s wider European strategy.
Armstrong brings more than 40 years of experience in engineering and sales. Before joining FANUC in 2014 as a sales manager, he spent 18 years with Krauss Maffei in engineering and commercial roles. In 2021, he was appointed Head of European Sales – ROBOSHOT, a role he continued to hold while serving as Vice Managing Director for the UK and Ireland until April this year.
FANUC said Armstrong will focus on supporting manufacturers across the UK and Ireland as they address competitiveness, sustainability targets, labour shortages, digitalisation, AI adoption and rising energy costs. The company’s portfolio includes industrial robots, robot systems and all-electric injection moulding machines.
“As the MD of FANUC UK and FANUC Ireland, I am keen to support the fantastic efforts being made day in and day out by our hardworking manufacturers,” Armstrong said. “We’ve known for some time that a country’s productivity is directly linked to its level of automation. The UK is the only G7 nation to sit outside the global top 20 for robot density, and this must change if we are to remain competitive on the global stage. I am very much looking forward to leading the drive to increase automation uptake across the UK and Ireland, and helping companies to reap the benefits of the latest AI and data-driven robotic technology.”
Marco Ghirardello, President and CEO of FANUC Europe, said: “Andy Armstrong’s extensive experience, leadership and dedication make him ideally suited for this position, and we are confident he will continue to drive our success. I would like to congratulate Andy and wish him every success in his new role.”
