Waukegan, Ill. – The Drives and Motion Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. has announced the appointment of Doug Burnside to the position of Drives Group vice president.

Burnside replaces long-time Drives Group Vice President Mark Bernicky, who will be taking on a new role for Yaskawa, focused on strengthening customer relationships. 

Prior to joining the Drives group, Burnside was the vice president of sales and marketing at Yaskawa America’s Motoman Robotics Division, where he led robot business growth in sales, profitability and market share since 2017. Before sales, Doug was VP of Customer Satisfaction at the Motoman Robotics Division from 2015 to 2017, where he provided leadership in implementing various customer care and aftermarket programs, furthering Yaskawa Motoman’s culture of customer support and long-term customer relationships. 

Bernicky stated, “Doug has been a key leader at Yaskawa Motoman, making positive contributions to customer experience and robot business growth. I believe both our associates and customers will greatly enjoy interacting with Doug in the future, as he is a great fit for our Drives culture and our great customers.”