FANUC has appointed Andy Armstrong as Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, effective immediately, as the company looks to accelerate automation adoption across both markets.
Armstrong steps up from his previous role as Vice Managing Director, bringing more than 40 years of experience in engineering and sales within the automation sector. He has been with FANUC since 2014, initially joining as a sales manager before progressing to Head of European Sales for ROBOSHOT in 2021, a position he held alongside his UK and Ireland leadership responsibilities.
He succeeds Tom Bouchier, who will now focus on his role as Cluster Coordinator for Northern Europe, supporting broader regional alignment.
Prior to joining FANUC, Armstrong spent 18 years with KraussMaffei in a range of engineering and sales roles, building extensive industry expertise.
In his new position, Armstrong will lead efforts to strengthen FANUC’s presence in the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on increasing the uptake of automation and robotics among manufacturers. He highlighted the role of automation in improving productivity, addressing labour shortages and helping businesses navigate rising energy costs and the growing influence of AI-driven technologies.
“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. 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.”
– Andy Armstrong, Managing Director, FANUC UK and FANUC Ireland.
Marco Ghirardello, President and CEO of FANUC Europe, added that Armstrong’s experience and leadership make him ideally suited to the role, expressing confidence that he will continue to drive the company’s success.
The move signals FANUC’s intent to build on its existing momentum in the region, supporting manufacturers with advanced robotics, automation systems and all-electric injection moulding technologies as they adapt to an increasingly digital and data-driven industrial landscape.
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