From IBM transformation to AI-powered product strategy, Higgins brings proven enterprise expertise and client-first vision to fuel the firm’s next phase of commercial expansion
Robots & Pencils, an AI-first, global digital innovation firm specializing in cloud-native web, mobile, and app modernization, today announced the appointment of Patrick Higgins as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). A seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience driving digital innovation for Fortune 500 companies, Higgins steps into a pivotal role to deepen client partnerships, scale impact, and fuel the company’s next phase of growth.
Higgins built his career at the intersection of digital product development, enterprise transformation, and applied AI. He began at IBM delivering mission-critical programs for large government and healthcare clients. Higgins then spent nearly a decade at WillowTree, where he helped scale the firm into a full-service digital agency and led go-to-market efforts across Media, Healthcare, and most recently, AI. Over the past year alone, he has advised more than 80 organizations on how to turn AI ambitions into action through strategic governance, rapid prototyping, and practical deployment strategies.
Now, as CRO at Robots & Pencils, Higgins will lead all commercial operations, with a focus on aligning strategy, sales, and client partnerships to help organizations unlock the full potential of AI, cloud-native architecture, and next-generation experiences.
“Patrick’s ability to listen deeply, build trust, and connect business goals to technical outcomes is exceptional,” said Leonard Pagon, CEO of Robots & Pencils. “He doesn’t just understand AI—he understands how to activate it inside the enterprise. He’s helped clients across industries turn emerging tech into scalable solutions, and his presence here marks a key step in our evolution. We’re not chasing growth for growth’s sake—we’re scaling the way we serve our clients. Patrick is the right leader to ensure that growth stays grounded in trust, results, and partnership.”
Higgins joins a growing executive team committed to challenging the traditional global systems integrators with a model that prioritizes speed, strategy, and elite delivery. With global centers of excellence and strategic partnerships with AWS, Salesforce, and Databricks, Robots & Pencils is positioned to help clients move beyond experimentation and into meaningful, AI-infused transformation.
“What drew me to Robots & Pencils is the caliber of the team and the clarity of the mission,” said Higgins. “We’re not just talking about AI. We’re delivering it—wrapped in thoughtful design, modern cloud infrastructure, and agile engineering. This is a firm built to move fast and deliver real results, and I’m honored to help lead the next chapter.”
In addition to his leadership role, Higgins is an active contributor to the AI community, serving as a panelist for the University of Virginia’s AI initiatives and helping organizations demystify their path to innovation. He holds a BA and MBA from the University of Virginia and lives in Charlottesville with his family.
