Fanuc’s Oliver Selby announced as new Bara chair

Left to right: Oliver Selby and George Thompson

BARA (the British Automation and Robotics Association) has named Fanuc UK’s head of sales, Oliver Selby, as its new chair, effective from 1 October. Taking over from current chair George Thompson, Mr Selby will be supported in his new role by vice chair Rosie Davies from Reeco Automation Ltd.

Part of Automate UK, BARA’s remit is to promote and support the development and adoption of industrial robots and automation in the UK, providing a voice to Government, industry and academia. With more than 20 years’ experience, Mr Selby is a longstanding and vocal supporter of the UK automation sector, and of manufacturing more widely. In his role as chair, he plans to drive the association’s activities forward, supporting BARA’s aim to increase automation uptake while placing members’ needs firmly front and centre.

Peter Williamson, CEO of Automate UK, said: “Oliver is an influential voice within the industry, his passion for all things manufacturing, automation adoption and future skills, will be a key factor in developing BARA alongside the existing committee, and with the full support of Automate UK.”

One of Mr Selby’s key pledges is to ensure the association delivers real value to its members. He said: “I am excited to bring my knowledge, influence and passion for automation to a wider audience, and will be fully focused on delivering value to all facets of the BARA membership and other stakeholders — from OEM robot manufacturers and system integrators to companies in the supply chain, academic institutions and High Value Manufacturing Catapults.

“It has been widely reported that, despite our status as a leading manufacturing nation, the UK is still lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to automation adoption. Communicating the myriad benefits that automation can bring, including through events such as Automation UK, which takes place 7-8 May 2025, at the CBS Arena, Coventry, is key to increasing uptake. It is essential that we highlight how automation can alleviate manufacturers’ key challenges by helping to mitigate labour shortages, increase productivity, boost sustainability credentials, and cut operational costs.

“However, it is also important to understand the challenges that manufacturers — particular SMEs — are facing. At BARA, we will strive to offer the right tools to manufacturers of all sizes, to ensure they can make the right automation choice for their business, with the right partners, and with the right technology, to future-proof their manufacturing operations as risk-free as possible.”