Apptronik Leadership & Management

Describe the woman on your team you wish to highlight and why you chose to showcase her. 

I chose to showcase Tricia Vanderhoof, our HR director, because she is the full package. She’s got the leadership skills, the people-first mindset and the business savvy to make a lasting impact — and it’s a rarity to have all three. She oversees recruiting, onboarding, payroll/compensation, employee relations, culture initiatives and everything in between. I want everyone to know how amazing she is and just how important her leadership is to our team and the entire organization.

How have you seen this woman inspire you or others on your team to do more?

She leads with empathy and integrity, creating an environment where feedback flows freely and everyone feels empowered to do their best work. She strikes the perfect balance of autonomy and support, coaching people through questions such as, “How would you have handled that?” or “What have you tried so far?” rather than just handing out answers. Because she involves us in goal-setting, we feel truly invested in what we’re working toward, leading to a track record of consistently hitting our goals. She celebrates wins, both big and small, rolls up her sleeves to work alongside us and ensures we always have a clear understanding of company priorities by keeping us informed. Her leadership makes us feel connected, valued and driven to grow.

How has this woman’s encouragement informed the way you face challenges in your professional and/or personal life?

Her encouragement has completely shifted the way I approach challenges — both at work and beyond. Because she leads with curiosity and trust, I’ve learned to solve problems with confidence instead of second-guessing myself or waiting for the “right” answer. Her coaching style has taught me to step back, assess situations thoughtfully and take action with clarity. She also reminds me that setbacks aren’t failures — they’re learning moments, which has made me more resilient and adaptable in tough situations. Whether it’s tackling a big project or navigating a difficult conversation, I find myself using her approach: stay calm, ask good questions and focus on solutions.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your professional background, and why were you brought on to lead this team?

My work in robotics began as a consultant on UAVs for Red Bull. From there, I joined one of the first industrial mobile robot companies, Adept Technologies, working as an applications engineer. While I was managing that team, Adept was acquired by OMRON, and I transitioned to leading their mobile robot product management team. Since then, my focus has been on developing product teams that can tackle every dimension of a robotics solution. 

Apptronik hired me to lead their product team not just for my professional experience, but because we’re aligned on the company’s social goals. The economy has evolved dramatically since the agrarian era when most people were farmers. The industrial revolution marked a significant shift, introducing mechanization and mass production, which led to urbanization and the growth of factories. Our increasingly modern economy is only possible if humanity continues to increase its capabilities with each generation. We view human-centric robots as the pinnacle of that pursuit to enhance productivity.

How would you describe your approach to leadership, and how do you plan on building team culture?

My team-building approach is based on promoting agency and communication. Communication is the backbone of effective teamwork. Open, honest and frequent communication ensures that everyone is on the same page and facilitates the sharing of ideas and feedback. 

Product management, at least in the early phases of a product, is a creative process. It’s key that everyone has a chance to be heard. Utilizing various communication channels, and documenting as you go, encourages a culture of transparency. This is particularly important in product management, where cross-functional collaboration is key to delivering successful products. Promoting agency involves empowering product managers to make decisions and take ownership of their projects. This fosters a sense of responsibility and provides learning experiences as individuals see their contributions directly impact the product’s success. 

My goal is to have each member of my team create successful products through a sense of personal ownership. As Peter Drucker said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

What project are you most excited to tackle, and why? What impact will it have on the company and its customers?

You’d be hard-pressed to find a project in any company that could have a larger global impact than ours will. In Apollo, our eighth humanoid robot design, we combine cutting-edge technology with years of experience building robots. Apollo is a robot capable of learning and solving problems autonomously because it integrates advanced controls, vision and AI.

For customers, Apollo addresses critical labor shortages in industries like manufacturing, logistics and healthcare by handling dull, dirty and dangerous jobs. This enhances worker safety and efficiency. As we expand from industry into the home, Apollo will assist around the house, freeing up people’s valuable time.