Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Robbins.
Hi Andy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back, my career has always been about people and helping them be at their best. The way I’ve done that has evolved over the years, but that purpose has been consistent.
I began my career with Intel in 1990 as a finance analyst in Swindon, England. Five years later, my wife and I moved to Portland, Oregon, where I became the Finance Controller for Intel’s Network Systems business. After a win period of buying start up companies during the dot.com boom, I opted for a steadier role in IT, where I spent the majority of my career leading enterprise-wide applications and, ultimately, strategy for Intel IT, reporting to the Chief Information Officer.
Intel was an extraordinary place to learn. I had the opportunity to work with talented people around the world and lead through periods of tremendous growth and change. But the biggest lesson I took away wasn’t about technology or strategy—it was about leadership. Time and again, I saw that the most successful leaders weren’t necessarily the smartest or the most technically capable. They were the ones who could inspire others, communicate a compelling vision, and bring out the best in their teams.
One of the people who had the greatest influence on my own career was my executive coach. Working with him transformed the way I led and played a significant role in the success I enjoyed at Intel. That experience planted a seed. I realized that the work I found most meaningful wasn’t building systems—it was helping people grow.
So, after more than 25 years at Intel, I made the decision to start my own executive coaching practice, Oyster. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of coaching leaders across the United States and around the world in industries ranging from technology and healthcare to manufacturing and professional services. I specialize in helping technically brilliant people become highly effective leaders—because when they learn to lead others effectively, they multiply their impact far beyond what they can accomplish on their own.
Photography entered my life much later, initially as a creative outlet. But the more I photographed people, the more I realized it wasn’t a departure from coaching—it was a natural extension of it. A portrait has the power to communicate confidence, warmth, credibility, and authenticity before a single word is spoken. It became another way to help people present the best version of themselves.
Today, those two careers complement each other in ways I never anticipated. Coaching helps leaders discover who they want to become. Photography helps them communicate that to the world. Together, they reflect what has been the common thread throughout my career: helping people realize their potential and increase the positive impact they have on others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest challenge was learning to lead through others instead of believing I needed the chief problem solver, doer, you name it. Trying to do too much myself led me to burnout and working way too many hours. I was ambitious and wanted to get on, but that became too much of a focus. These two things combined and I fell out of favor at Intel. I was given the choice of leaving or taking a demotion and a role leading an under-performing function. It was a public humiliation and painful as it was, it turned out to be what I really needed.
With the help of my coach, I learned how to lead through others and help my new team excel in a way I had never been able to achieve before. In two years, they exceeded all of their goals and their morale rose from near the lowest in the company to near the highest.
This led me to follow my coaches footsteps and eventually become a leadership coach.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For most of my career I have helped people become more effective leaders. Today, I bring together two disciplines that are rarely combined—executive coaching and leadership portrait photography—to help people intentionally shape how they are perceived by others.
As an executive coach, I work with leaders to understand the impact they want to have: how they want to influence, inspire confidence, build trust, and lead change. As a photographer, I translate those insights into images that authentically communicate that leadership presence before a single word is spoken.
I specialize in leadership headshots and portraits for executives, physicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who understand that their image is often their first introduction. Rather than simply taking a flattering photograph, I help clients define the qualities they want to project—whether that’s warmth, confidence, approachability, authority, curiosity, or decisiveness—and then create images that align with those goals.
What I’m most proud of is the transformation my clients experience. Many arrive believing they’re “not photogenic.” They leave with images that not only look like them at their best but also reflect who they aspire to be as leaders. Seeing someone gain confidence because they finally have a photograph that truly represents them is incredibly rewarding.
What sets me apart is the combination of coaching and photography. Most photographers focus on lighting, posing, and expression. Those things matter, but they’re only part of the story. My coaching background allows me to uncover the leadership story behind the image, so every session is guided by purpose rather than appearance alone. The result is photography that helps people increase their influence, strengthen their personal brand, and make a lasting first impression—without sacrificing authenticity.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Empathy, curiosity and listening. Asking the right questions and listening to the responses is key in both my coaching and my photography.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://robbins.photo
- Instagram: @andyrpdx
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyrobbinspdx
