Bob Higgins has spent 30 years in the AEC industry and served as CEO of Barge Design Solutions for 15 years. During his tenure as CEO, he led the firm’s growth from $50 million to $150 million in revenue and expanded its team to over 600 people. Under his leadership, Barge became a top-ranked engineering and architectural firm, recognized for its innovative solutions and commitment to improving quality of life through engineering excellence.

In 2024, Bob stepped down as CEO and transitioned into two new roles: Chairman of the Board for Barge Design Solutions and Senior Consultant at Thrivence, a management consulting firm and Barge subsidiary, where he now advises executives on leadership, strategy, and emerging technologies. Bob has become a respected voice on the practical use of generative AI in business leadership. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Nashville Business Journal, and he regularly shares insights as a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University.

He serves on the board of the American Council of Engineering Companies – Nashville Chapter, and is a member of the National and Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE), as well as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He has been honored as TSPE Nashville Chapter Engineer of the Year and named one of the Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs multiple times. Bob also serves on the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (VUSE) Board of Visitors, where he helped launch a civil engineering scholarship funded by Barge through employee gift matching, creating a growing endowment that will exceed $100,000. Deeply committed to developing future leaders in engineering, Bob played a pivotal role in establishing the Leadership PE program in Tennessee, aimed at equipping mid-level engineers across the state with leadership skills.