Former president of Teradyne Robotics Ujjwal Kumar (left) and his successor Jean-Pierre Hathout (right).
“In the last 2+ years at Teradyne Robotics, I’ve been proud of working with an incredible global team in expanding the product & customer portfolios across Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots, extending our global footprint, championing the incredible potential of Physical AI, and above all helping customers to transform the way they work,” Kumar wrote.
Kumar said he will continue to pursue his passion for business transformation, physical AI, industry 5.0, and automation, but did not share where he will be heading next.
The Robot Report reached out to both Kumar and Teradyne president and CEO Greg Smith. Kumar said he will speak to us after he announces his next move. Smith said he can talk next week when he’s back from traveling.
Teradyne Robotics includes collaborative robot (cobot) arm leader Universal Robots (UR) and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) developer Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). The company has struggled this year to match previous years’ revenue. For example, the group generated $75 million in the second quarter of 2025, representing a 17% year-over-year decline.
Earlier this year, Teradyne Robotics laid off about 10% of its workforce, citing the need to align operations with market conditions. The group has also undergone leadership transitions at both UR and MiR, moves the company said are aimed at sharpening strategic focus and improving execution across both businesses.
In December 2024, UR announced it was establishing manufacturing capabilities in Nantong, China. This was the first overseas production facility for Denmark-based UR, which said at the time it was looking to significantly expand its presence in China, the world’s largest market for industrial robots. To meet increasing Chinese demand, is producing two cobots specifically for China: the UR7e and UR12e.
Meet Teradyne’s new robotics president
Teradyne named Jean-Pierre “JP” Hathout as Kumar’s successor. Hathout was appointed president of UR in May 2025 and was previously president of MiR for two years.
“I’m excited to be able to step into this role where I can combine my experience of and passion for both cobot and AMR automation,” said Hathout. “This is a further opportunity to leverage the significant technical and commercial synergies between the two brands at a time of rapid innovation and growing market potential.”
Hathout brings over two decades of international management experience, including 17 years at Bosch, and most recently led MiR to strengthen its product portfolio and global position. He will continue to lead UR in his new position.
“We are thrilled for JP to step into this new role of leading the Robotics group,” said Greg Smith, President and CEO of Teradyne. “The robotics industry is fast-changing, and I am confident in JP’s ability to navigate the challenges and lead Teradyne Robotics to achieve its growth goals in the years to come.”
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