Pioneering trade association Automate UK has appointed Dan Thombs as its new Chief Executive Officer, tasked with accelerating the organisation’s reach and impact across the complete industrial ecosystem.
Dan succeeds Peter Williamson, who has taken on the role of Policy Director further to reaching the end of his term.
Dan brings 30 years’ experience in automation and advanced manufacturing to the role and is already focused on what comes next for Automate UK: expanding its member services, reach and impact and accelerating automation adoption in all sectors of the UK economy.
“I consider it a privilege to have been appointed to this position,” said Dan. “There is a whole world of possibility around what this organisation can and should do to advance the industry. Our ambition is to make Automate UK the leading force for automation adoption, helping manufacturers unlock productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth. Through stronger collaboration between technology providers, integrators and end users, we can drive innovation that benefits manufacturing in the UK and beyond.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, Automate UK is a neutral body and trusted partner to the industry, with no vested or commercial interest of its own. My role, and that of Automate UK, is to support our members and UK industry as a whole by helping to drive productivity and growth through the adoption of automation.
“We are committed to making a difference to everyone working across all the industries we support, building on the excellent work that my predecessors Peter Williamson and James Causebrook, and the wider Automate UK team, have delivered to date. As part of that vision, we will be introducing a new End-User Membership programme, bringing manufacturers closer to the automation community, giving them a stronger voice in industry discussions, and helping shape the future direction of UK manufacturing,” he said.
Dan said the organisation, which continues to unite our core membership in processing and packaging with a whole spectrum of industries across the machine vision, automation, manufacturing and robotics sectors via its exhibitions, events, collaborations and government programs, aims to further maximise its lobbying powers to partner with other trade associations, funding bodies and government agencies to grow the economy through increased productivity..
“By partnering with senior leaders and other associations, we can create the momentum to build representation across industry, but I want more than that, I want to build a voice that delivers change: it will be easier to create an environment where we can grow the economy if all the stakeholders share a common objective.
“If end users adopt more automation, they will become more competitive and more profitable, which will help members sell more technology, creating growth and more jobs. But to do that, we need to understand our end users’ objectives and the roadblocks to achieving them. Only then can we identify the solutions, create the equipment and systems to meet their needs and drive the economy forward,” he said.
Building on recent momentum, including the launch of the UK Automation Forum, new BSI standards, integrator certification programmes, government-funded projects such as Robot Adoption for Business Leaders and Cobot Safety Guidance, and growing international reach through the Automate UK Pavilion, preparations are underway for the organisers’s biggest step yet: Automate UK Week 2027.
This landmark event, which will unite the UK’s processing and packaging, robotics, industrial vision, drives and controls, and warehouse automation communities, will take place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 28-30 September 2027.
As the leading voice for automation adoption, workforce upskilling and manufacturing advancement, Automate UK is shaping industry, driving automation, and advancing manufacturing to the benefit of all stakeholders in the UK economy.