Stafford, Denise

Denise is fascinated by the “human element” in robotics and believes listening to skilled workers is the key to success. Among her favorite quotes is one by Ernest Hemmingway, “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”  

In her role as Business Development Manager for KUKA Robotics, Ms. Stafford works with local sales and account management to provide customers in North America with innovative automation solutions using human-robot collaboration and mobile robotics. She offers valuable insight for both KUKA and their customers on a wide range of topics, such as Industry 4.0, mobility, and human-robot collaboration.

A KUKA employee since 2008, her role with the company has evolved over time to include a variety of key positions, including head of Service Robotics Research for KUKA Laboratories and as a Key Account Manager. Prior to KUKA, Ms. Stafford was the patent coordinator for AKsys GmbH, where she set up the company’s patent department, with a focus on ensuring company processes and formulas were legally compliant. She also served as a patent engineer for REINZ-Dichtungs-GmbH.

Ms. Stafford obtained a Master of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Hagen after completing her graduate studies In Industrial Engineering at the Ulm University of Applied Sciences.  She enjoys exploring her new home, the City of Detroit, connecting with her neighbors, traveling and golfing with her husband.