Ready Robotics has announced two key hires, bringing in proven automation leaders to head up product and channel partner efforts. Juan Aparicio joins Ready as VP of product after a decorated career at Siemens Technology where he was head of advanced manufacturing automation, and joining Ready as director of business development, Mark Patterson comes from Schunk, where he built out their collaborative robotic sales channels.
 
These hires reflect Ready’s commitment to building Forge/OS into a robotics and automation platform that impacts manufacturing and automation at a broad scale.
 
“I couldn’t be more excited to add Juan and Mark to the Ready team! Juan’s impact at Siemens, and on the greater automation community, cannot be overstated. His expertise will be invaluable in refining Forge/OS into a platform that can unlock automation and ignite innovation,” said Ben Gibbs, Ready CEO and co-founder. “Of course, getting automation technology into the hands of the market is about more than building a great product, which is why I’m equally excited to add Mark Patterson to lead channel partner development. Mark’s experience building out the collaborative robotics sales channels for Schunk will enable Ready to build a powerful distribution network that makes Forge/OS-powered automation accessible to all manufacturers.”
 
Juan Aparicio
 
Juan Aparicio joins Ready after over a decade at Siemens. While leading the advanced manufacturing automation team at Siemens, Aparicio was awarded MIT Tech Review Innovator under35 Europe, granted numerous patents, and recognized as Siemens’ 2020 Inventor of the Year. His work has been featured at the New York Times, MIT Tech Review, Wired, Forbes, and other media outlets. Aparicio is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, a member of the A3 Strategic Advisory Committee on AI, and a startup advisor at UC Berkeley’s Skydeck.
 
In his role as VP of Product, Aparicio will guide all product strategy, with a focus on advancing Forge/OS into a widely-adopted, cross-brand robotics and automation platform that exponentially accelerates the distribution of industrial automation.
 
“When I joined Siemens in 2010, I couldn’t have dreamt to have such an impactful career. It’s been the honor of a lifetime. As I look into the future, the opportunity to lead Product for Ready is impossible to pass up,” commented Aparicio. “My personal mission is to democratize access to robots and unleash the power of automation, and there is no better time and place to do it than right now at Ready. The field of robotics is on the verge of a Cambrian explosion, in terms of the amount of robots and applications where they will be deployed. I look forward to working with the Ready team to help make this a reality!“
 
Mark Patterson
 
Joining Ready to lead channel partner development efforts is Mark Patterson. Patterson comes from Schunk, where he built their collaborative robotics sales distribution channel from the ground up.
 
“It’s exciting to help Ready smash the barrier that prevents robot adoption. With their established end-user relationships and automation expertise, distributors and integrators will play a critical role in getting Forge/OS-powered automation in the hands of manufacturers. I’m eager to build a network of trusted partners that believe in the value of Forge/OS as much as I do!”