The BuiltWorlds Adoption Leaders Top 50 List recognizes members who actively engage in the BuiltWorlds member network. These individuals exhibit a high level of interest in learning and participating in our offerings to expand their knowledge base and contribute to the BuiltWorlds community.
BY THE NUMBERS
Our adoption leaders list features individuals from 44 different member organizations. Among those companies, 23 are contractor/construction management companies, 11 are technology companies, 1 is a venture capital firm, 2 are professional services organizations, and 7 are manufacturing/supply companies. 8 of this year's top adoption leaders were also featured on last year's list. 8 individuals on the list are the CEO of their organization.
HOW WAS THIS LIST CREATED?
This year's list was derived by tracking attendance, engagement, and contributions of active BuiltWorlds members of all company types from November 2023 to November 2024. The people within this list are all leading the way toward innovation for their companies and the industry overall.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ADOPTION LEADERS 50?
As always, members can access member profiles and request to connect with this year's top adoption leaders by clicking on the names within the list. Others can still access the company profiles for information about the companies the top adopters come from. For more on joining the BuiltWorlds network, visit the BuiltWorlds Member Network Page.
2024 ADOPTION LEADERS 50 LIST
1. Adrian Mayorga
Job Title: Estimator
Company: STO Building Group
Headquarters: New York City, NY, United States
Adrian is currently an Estimator at Structure Tone, where he brings a strong understanding and passion for construction project management, estimating, operations, and technology. Previously, he served as a Junior Innovation & Technology Analyst at STO Building Group from August 2023 to September 2024. Before that, he worked as a Rotational Project Engineer at Structure Tone NY, contributing to multiple projects with the operations department from April 2021 to July 2023. These experiences have fueled his passion for delivering creative solutions, driving client success, and overcoming complex challenges. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (2020) and an MBA with a focus on Innovation & Entrepreneurship (2021), both completed while competing as a student-athlete at Felician University.
2. Enrico Scirocco, P. Eng
Job Title: Senior Project Manager, Construction Operations
Company: EllisDon Corporation
Headquarters: London, ON, Canada
Enrico, a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering, has extensive experience in construction across diverse roles and sectors. He joined EllisDon in 2006, progressing from Senior Project Coordinator on Scarborough General Hospital to Assistant Project Manager on projects like the Krembil Discovery Tower and Pan Am Athletes’ Village. Promoted to Project Manager in 2017, he led the Seneca College King Campus Expansion and contributed to the $550M West Park Healthcare Centre project. As Director of Enterprise Tech Solutions, he managed a digital team enhancing Gate Three project management software. Currently, as Senior Project Manager for the $1.2B Queensway Health Centre, Enrico leads project setup, health and safety, contract management, and team oversight, ensuring effective construction management and client coordination.
3. Jon Pahl
Job Title: Vice President of Preconstruction
Company: Nabholz
Headquarters: Conway, AR, USA
Jon serves as Vice President of Preconstruction at Nabholz, giving legs to new ideas that solve problems and add value. Beginning with a summer internship, Jon’s career path at Nabholz has taken him through preconstruction, project management, operations, and innovation leadership. In his current role, Jon is particularly passionate about advocating ideas from the company’s professional craft. Jon earned a B.S. in Construction Management from John Brown University. He recently celebrated 26 years with Nabholz.
4. Angus Frost
Job Title: Executive Vice President
Company: Burger Consulting
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA
Angus joined BCG in December 2005 as a Senior IT Consultant specializing in IT organizational and infrastructure planning and management. In this role, he supports other consultants with software selections and implementations from a technical perspective, and has played a significant part in the build-out of the BCG knowledge base and support systems. Prior to becoming a Senior IT Consultant, Angus worked with the construction industry as a Chief Technology Officer for more than 20 years. Angus also was involved thoroughly in the agcXML Initiative, as both the Chief Architect and Advisory Board member. He used his vast technical experience to interface with members of the construction industry and software developer community, as well as work with the Advisory Board and Application work groups to prioritize and test the schema. Angus has a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Management from Thames Valley University London, England, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Finance from Kutztown University Kutztown, PA/Brunel University Gerrards Cross, England.
5. Gabriela Newell
Job Title: Economics Advisory - Ventures
Company: Arup
Headquarters: London, England, UK
Gabriela currently works on the economics advisory for Arup's Ventures team. Previously she worked as a transport analyst and ventures scout for Arup's Ventures team. Arup's Ventures team works collaboratively to commercialize and scale novel ideas across the built environment. Gabriela received her Bachelor's Degree in Economics; Spanish and Portuguese from Vanderbilt University and her Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
6. Robert Zeilinger
Job Title: Innovation Analyst
Company: Swinerton
Headquarters: Concord, CA, USA
Robert holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to joining Swinerton, he was a construction management intern at Kaiser Permanente. Robert has been with Swinerton for almost 6 years, first serving as a project engineer before his current role as an innovation analyst.
7. Keefe Andrews
Job Title: Vice President of IT
Company: SpawGlass Contractors
Headquarters: Bogota, Colombia
Keefe has been fascinated with technology and computing since his high school days when he built his first computer. In his college days, he enjoyed working with many families to help them with their computer issues with his home business as a PC doctor on call. He aims to not only fix IT issues but also to educate whoever he interacts with so they can grow and leverage technology further. In his current role at SpawGlass, he seeks to bring the power of computing, data, and connectivity to all team members by making IT hardware and applications more accessible and resilient.
8. Maya Lexa
Job Title: Vice President
Company: I-Grace
Headquarters: Long Island, NY, USA
A native Angeleno who has lived and worked on both coasts of the USA; Maya currently leads the West Coast office of The I-Grace Company. Although she originally studied and practiced architecture, she quickly found the construction process more interesting and rewarding so she joined a general contractor in NYC who worked on hospitality and residential projects. An opportunity to work for a General Contractor with a large architectural millwork shop led to her specialization in high-end residential construction and an in-depth understanding of millwork fabrication, finishing, and installation.
9. Anthony Offak
Job Title: Senior Technology Specialist
Company: Walbridge
Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Anthony enjoys helping clients achieve their goals through planning and design. He works to incorporate sustainable designs & processes into projects along with coordinating project requirements with all team members. He helps lead the Workflow Improvement team to help create/manage company CAD/BIM standards & setup projects in AutoCAD & Revit. In the office, he assists with AIA 2030 commitments, helps fellow LEED APs with continued education reqs, performs tasks for the Sustainability Committee, and helps mentor interns. Outside the office, he volunteers for U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Detroit Regional Chapter.
10. Eric Cylwik
Job Title: Director of Innovation
Company: Sundt Construction
Headquarters: Tempe, AZ, USA
As Sundt Construction’s Director of Innovation Eric Cylwik oversees the organizational structures and mechanisms that engage, support, and broadcast new ideas to build better. When he entered the construction industry in 2006 he immediately witnessed how innovative construction solutions can be. He created semi-photorealistic pictures and videos used during construction proposals that helped drive over $1 billion in sales. He focused on using transportation and infrastructure models in the field to provide predictable operations via automated machine guidance. He’s been a member of the USACE BIM Consortium, a construction presenter for FHWA’s Every Day Counts, and is currently leading the AGC’s Highway & Transportation task force on digital means and methods. Eric graduated in 2009 with a degree from Arizona State University and is a recent graduate from ASU’s Leadership Institute.
11. Kurt Chen
Job Title: Director, Market Intelligence & Analyst Relations, Infrastructures & Cities Sector
Company: Dassault Systemes
Headquarters: Vélizy-Villacoublay, Paris, France
Kurt is an experienced Market Intelligence Director with a demonstrated history of working in the enterprise software industry. He is skilled in Product Lifecycle Management, Product Management, Corporate & IT Strategy, Go-to-Market Strategy, and extensive market research coverage on emerging technologies, e.g., Smart City, IoT, Autonomous Driving, Analytics, MarTech, platform economy, and marketplace.
12. Tommy Moore
Job Title: Commercial Account Director
Company: American Equipment Company
Headquarters: Greenville, SC, USA
Tommy Moore has been working in the construction industry for almost three decades. At AMECO, he was previously the director of business analytics and innovation before stepping into the new role of commercial account director. Tommy has a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of South Carolina Upstate.
13. Yuji Doi
Job Title: Innovation Manager
Company: Kajima
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Yuji is responsible for sourcing and managing Silicon Valley based innovation initiatives for Kajima. He works closely with start-up companies to assess technology and find business applications to boost Kajima’s business across the globe. Not only looking for the current Construction and Real Estate businesses, but also to constantly exploring for business expansion opportunities outside of the core business, where intersects Kajima’s strengths and capabilities. Yuji brings 20 years of experience in the construction industry, was a project engineer based in Tokyo working mainly in subway projects.
14. Corey Forte
Job Title: Construction Project Manager
Company: Burns & McDonnell
Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Corey Forte is a seasoned professional in the construction industry. He has spent his professional career working for Buns & McDonnell from an internship on the T&D Scheduling Team to now serving as a construction project manager. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut.
15. Igor Tsinman
Job Title: President
Company: AMC Bridge
Headquarters: Boston, MA, USA
Igor Tsinman is the president and co-founder of AMC Bridge. He works with both start-ups and established technology leaders, helping them to quickly bring their software ideas from the whiteboard into commercial production. Before co-founding AMC Bridge in 2000, he held engineering leadership positions at various U.S. software companies, including Torrent Systems, TRUE Software, IDD Information Services, NPC Freight Services, and Parametric Technology Corporation. He managed distributed projects in all these positions, implemented complex design and architecture, and ensured smooth information flow between the organizations’ business and technical parts.
16. Marty LaRouere
Job Title: Enterprise Strategy & Corporate Development
Company: Caterpillar Inc.
Headquarters: Irving, TX, USA
Marty has a strong educational background with a both BBA and a Master's in Accounting from the University of Michigan. Additionally, Marty has obtained an MBA in strategy, finance, and operations from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Marty works in the MBA Leadership Development Program at Caterpillar focusing on enterprise strategy, corporate development, business unit finance & operations.
17. Aaron Anderson
Job Title: Director of Innovation
Company: Swinerton Builders
Headquarters: Carlsbad, CA, USA
As Director of Innovation, Aaron leads the innovation strategy at Swinerton, redefining and transforming how Swinerton builds by applying R&D principles and collaborating with business groups to evaluate challenges and implement solutions. Having started out as a carpenter, he has over 20 years of diverse experience in quality control, constructability, business analytics, and field and project management. He holds a degree from the UVA McIntire School of Commerce in IT and global commerce, where he studied competition dynamics between investor-owned utilities and electric vehicle ownership.
18. Trevor Johnston
Job Title: Director, Construction Technology
Company: XL Construction
Headquarters: Milpitas, CA, USA
Trevor Johnston is the Director of Construction Technology at XL Construction, where he served in previous positions including construction technology manager, construction technology project manager, and VDC specialist. Prior to joining XL Construction, Trevor served as a designer/BIM specialist at various construction and design firms.
19. Brandon Milner
Job Title: SVP, Digital & Data Engineering
Company: EllisDon Corporation
Headquarters: London, ON, Canada
As Senior Vice President of Digital and Data Engineering at EllisDon, Brandon is passionate about driving the future of construction. Rooted in digital innovation and data, he leverages his experience to transform construction technology and PropTech. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a hunger for performance enhancement, he executes strategic initiatives to maximize profitability.
20. Aash Desai
Job Title: Owner & CEO
Company: Helios Construction
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA
Aash founded Helios Construction Services in 2008 with the belief that the construction process could be transformed. He has vast experience in real estate development, construction management, and real estate consulting, having managed the planning, development, and construction of over $600M in residential, retail, transportation, office, and mixed-use projects throughout the United States. Aash has been involved with several complex, high-profile projects for various public and private corporations, institutions, and investors. As CEO, Aash leads the overall business strategy and project direction at Helios. He serves as both construction manager and project advisor to an outstanding roster of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, private developers, start-ups, and institutions.
21. Erik Luhtala
Job Title: Manager Digital Technology
Company: USG
Headquarters: Chicago, IL, USA
Erik is an architectural technologist working to deploy scalable digital solutions across the AEC industry. A core goal of his is the digitization of existing processes to improve quality, lower cost, and reduce the climate impact of the Built Environment. He is responsible for developing the digital innovation pipeline and integrating new technologies with existing resources to deliver customer-facing digital solutions for USG / Knauf North America.
22. Erik Von Glan
Job Title: Manager - Corporate Development & Ventures Plus
Company: Andersen Corporation
Headquarters: Bayport, MN, USA
Erik is a successful brand ambassador in strategic finance roles. Erik started at Andersen Corporation's Ventures team in the role of principal financial analyst before his current position as manager of corporate development and ventures. Before Andersen, Erik worked at General Mills and Ameriprise Financial Services. Erik has a Bachelor's in finance and financial management services from the University of Northern Iowa and an MBA from the University of Minnesota.
23. German Aparicio
Job Title: Program Manager of Early Innovation and Partner Development
Company: Trimble Ventures
Headquarters: Westminster, CO, USA
German W Aparicio Jr is 0-60 Accelerator Co-Founder, Program Manager of Early Innovation and Partner Development at Trimble Ventures, and faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona. His role as Program Manager of Early Innovation and Partner Development at Trimble Ventures is focused on advancing early-stage innovation and collaboration, leading outreach efforts, and expanding their innovation portfolio through the identification of promising early-stage companies.
24. Guillaume Grandmont
Job Title: Project Manager, Special Projects R&D and Innovation
Company: Pomerleau
Headquarters: Montreal, QC, Canada
Guillaume has been with Pomerleau for three years in the capacity of project manager, special projects R&D and innovation. Before his work at Pomerleau, Guillaume had experience in business development and telecommunications. Guillaume has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering - telecommunications from Université Laval.
25. Jacob Raskin
Job Title: Manager, Technical Operations (North America)
Company: STO Building Group
Headquarters: New York City, NY, USA
Jacob is a department founder and leader responsible for enabling his team of specialists to bring their best work to the multiple projects they serve. After gaining a firm grasp on MEP building systems design and construction through estimating and field experiences, he now focuses on MEP system planning, optimization, and coordination through the implementation of BIM (Building Information Management) and VDC (Virtual Design and Construction).
26. Jim Mullen
Job Title: Head of Finance & Strategy
Company: UFP Industries
Headquarters: Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Jim Mullen is responsible for financial diligence, portfolio reporting, and portfolio support. Prior to UFP Ventures, his career blended tech and finance including Private Equity and early-stage tech companies, including an exit to a Fortune 50 strategic buyer.
27. Michel Nasilowski
Job Title: External Venturing Manager
Company: Saint-Gobain
Headquarters: Courbevoie, France
Michel focuses on building successful partnerships between start-ups and Saint-Gobain businesses in construction productivity, healthy and sustainable buildings and circular economy. Michel holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Chemistry of Materials, from the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, France (ESPCI Paris). He then completed a post-doctorate before becoming a Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in photovoltaics. Prior to joining Saint-Gobain, Michel worked as a Senior R&D Scientist in the Venturing and Partnerships teams at DSM and Covestro Additive Manufacturing. He is based in Boston, MA.
28. Nick Bobbitt
Job Title: Senior Business Transformation Manager
Company: Barton Malow
Headquarters: Southfield, MI, USA
Nick has been with Barton Malow for almost 9 years, starting as a VDC manager to his current role as senior business transformation manager. Before Barton Malow, Nick worked in the construction industry at Walbridge and 3D Imaging Services. Nick has a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan-Flint.
29. Omar Smith
Job Title: Senior Associate
Company: Blackhorn Ventures
Headquarters: Denver, CO, USA
Omar is a Senior Associate at Blackthorn Ventures, where he focuses on the built environment and transport/mobility sectors. Prior to investing, Omar spent over a decade in product and analytics, working across the spectrum from pre-seed startups to established public companies where he focused on leveraging both structured and unstructured data for a range of applications. His work in developing workflow automation and predictive analytics tools led him to develop theses on the future of work and digital transformation in overlooked industries. Omar received a BA and an MS from Stanford University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
30. Briston Blair
Job Title: SVP, Innovation & Strategy
Company: Comfort Systems USA
Headquarters: Houston, TX, USA
Comfort Systems USA, a top-ranked commercial mechanical and electrical construction leader, has tripled its revenue and workforce during Briston's tenure, now serving diverse needs with expanded services in electrical, modular, and off-site construction. As SVP of Innovation and Strategy, Briston work closely with their C-suite to drive growth, scale cutting-edge technologies across 40+ subsidiaries, and capture new opportunities that benefit our customers, employees, and investors. His experience spans P&L management, strategic advising, and tech integration to streamline operations, always with a focus on building high-performing teams that deliver seamless service.
31. Jack Moran
Job Title: Senior Construction Technology Director
Company: Consigli
Headquarters: Milford, MA, USA
Jack oversees Consigli’s Technology teams (VDC, Visualization Studio and Reality Capture) and leads efforts to research and implement emerging technologies and process improvement to address operational pain points and opportunities to improve. Jack has over 25 years of experience in the AEC industry, including in both design and construction firms, and as a result, has a particular passion for technology and processes that enable rich cross-discipline collaboration. He was recognized as Revizto’s 2020 Collaborator of the Year and has spearheaded Consigli’s partnerships with technology start-ups, including Manufacton (a cloud-based material management software to support pre-fabrication), and Rugged Robotics (technology for robotic field layout), which have utilized Consigli projects as incubators and test sites. Jack holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Boston Architectural College and an associate’s degree in Architectural & Building Engineering from Vermont Technical College. Jack is also a LEED Accredited Professional, OSHA 10-Hour Certified, and is currently President of the American Institute of Architects, Central Massachusetts Chapter.
32. John Lepak
Job Title: President/CEO
Company: Omaha Electric Service
Headquarters: Omaha, NE, USA
John has been in the electrical industry since college. He started as an intern at Omaha Electric Service, Inc. then branching out running large work around the country for much larger electrical firms. The opportunity presented itself to buy out the owners of Omaha Electric Service, Inc., and after months of consideration he decided to give it a shot.
33. Chris Diepdael
Job Title: Innovation Lead
Company: Axiom Builders
Headquarters: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Growth specialist & strategic leader with over 10 years of experience in driving effective go-to-market, digital strategy, and corporate innovation initiatives for internal executives and clients. As the Founder of a data-informed consulting practice, he leverages his skills and knowledge in market management, process improvement, customer relationship management, and data commercialization to deliver value and results for clients and partners.
34. Dennis DiPalma
Job Title: IT Director
Company: PJ Dick - Trumbull - Lindy Paving
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
In his role as IT Director, he is fortunate to have a wide range of roles and responsibilities within our organization. He is the team leader on researching, evaluating, procuring, and implementing technology for our family of companies. This includes all types of hardware, software, mobile, networking, telecommunications, infrastructure, disaster recovery, cloud computing, and security initiatives. He is also the application development team leader. At times, he is involved with marketing, business development, and other special projects related to research, AI, and data analytics.
35. Matthew Levi
Job Title: Director of Strategy & Innovation
Company: Carolina Cat
Headquarters: Charlotte, NC, USA
As an analytically minded marketing and strategy leader, with over 12 years of business experience; Matthew has spent the last 4.5 years engaged in strategic business leadership and significant transformation projects both domestically and abroad. Currently serving on the Onduline North America Leadership Team. His current focuses include expanding the retail and professional businesses and adding new products; through market research, R&D, financial modeling and analysis, and capital projects (CAPEX). Working with our C-Suite, his team is transforming the way Carolina Cat leverages marketing and leading its digital transformation.
36. Aidan Halter
Job Title: Head of CVC & Strategy
Company: Bouygues
Headquarters: Île-de-France, France
Aidan started his career in Management Consulting. He then moved to the Energy & Services branch of the Bouygues group as a Strategy & Integration Manager. After being part of building and rolling out the integration plan of a major acquisition, Aidan moved to Bouygues Construction. He is now responsible for strategic intelligence, development, and corporate venture capital within the group.
37. Anton Ricafort
Job Title: Innovation Director - Americas
Company: Acciona
Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
Anton is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CPEng MIEAust) and has over 16 years of professional experience in engineering consultancy, construction, and business development and strategy. His experience spans the Americas, Asia, and Oceania and includes projects in renewable energy, transportation, and water. As the current Innovation Director for Acciona in the Americas, he is responsible for consolidating and coordinating the innovation initiatives in the region. As Head of Business Development for Acciona in the Philippines, he was responsible for developing and implementing the Country Business Plan and generating new leads and partnerships for potential projects for a portfolio valued at over US$ 3 Billion. As Business Development Manager of Cardno's International Development - Physical Infrastructure Business in Asia Pacific, he leads the business development team in achieving high tender success rates (over 40% tender success rate). As Technical Services Manager of Cardno's Emerging Markets Division in Asia Pacific, he managed a team of diverse professionals in the successful delivery of infrastructure design in the transport and land development sectors.
38. Antonia Elisa Soler Blasco
Job Title: Director of Hilti Venture
Company: Hilti
Headquarters: Schaan, Liechtenstein
Antonia Soler works with Hilti’s corporate venture team to identify the technologies and business models shaping the future of the construction industry. She is interested in how modular construction can alleviate the housing crisis, how robots can execute dangerous jobs, how software drives jobsite efficiency, and how deep tech can reduce carbon emissions. Antonia is also a strong advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion, serving as a co-founder of the Women in Construction Tech community. Antonia grew up in Barcelona, earning bachelor’s degrees in chemical and mining engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering. She has worked at Hilti for the past ten years in roles including supply management, product management, and sales management. In her free time, Antonia enjoys inviting friends over for paella parties, traveling, yoga, and running.
39. Brent Wadas
Job Title: CEO
Company: BotBuilt
Headquarters: Raleigh-Durham, NC, USA
BotBuilt is revolutionizing the building process and solving the labor crisis in construction through flexible, precise robotic systems, proprietary hardware, and cutting-edge software. BotBuilt uses the latest technology to implement advanced motion planning with computer vision to build a more sustainable future for construction, forever changing the way the world builds with automation. Brent Wadas and his wife Christy and have two wonderful daughters. He founded BotBuilt along with his two business partners Barrett Ames and Colin Devine. Before becoming the CEO and Chairman of BotBuilt, Brent enjoyed success with his investment firm and a SaaS company creating automated processes for business CRM technology. In between civilian adventures, Brent was an officer in the US Army, deploying with Special Operations units alongside the bravest men and women from around the world. He currently resides in Pinehurst, North Carolina and is dedicated to building the future of robotics and construction.
40. Calvin Benchimol
Job Title: Co-founder and CEO
Company: Crewscope
Headquarters: Toronto, ON, Canada
Calvin spent his entire career in construction and industrial operations. He led a $100M aggregate distribution operation at Lafarge, where he built an order fulfillment and material planning system to fill a gap in simple-to-use tech for front-line workers. After 10 years at Lafarge, Calvin partnered with the founder of eCompliance, a health and safety software venture. He doubled the business’s size in two years and facilitated the exit to Alcumus. Calvin co-founded Crewscope in August 2022 to build high-performance teams, raise human potential on industrial sites, and solve the labor crisis.
41. Dai Ohama
Job Title: General Manager, Innovation and Incubation Office
Company: Kajima
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Dai has led Kajima’s Innovation & Transformation team for over five years, driving global open innovation efforts, including in Silicon Valley. His mission is to shape Kajima’s long-term vision, its ‘Polar Star,’ while transforming core business operations by partnering with startups to revolutionize construction processes. He supports proof-of-concept projects and brings new technologies into active projects, aiming to redefine industry standards. Additionally, He incubates new businesses beyond construction by merging innovative ideas from startups with Kajima’s resources. Through these collaborations, Dai works to cultivate a mindset of unlearning traditional approaches and adopting startup methodologies like Design Thinking.
42. Dan Williamson
Job Title: Director of AI
Company: Ryan Companies
Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Dan is the Director of AI at Ryan Companies, a national leader in commercial real estate services. Dan wakes up to explore and inspire productive change in the communities around him every day. He is a husband, father, son, brother, dog dad, homeowner/renovator, designer, and nerd. At Ryan, Dan leads the strategic development and implementation of transformative AI solutions across the enterprise. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to uncovering meaningful correlations between significant business challenges, data, and design, ultimately shaping user experiences that bring delight in both digital and physical realms. Previous to his tenure at Ryan, Dan was the Computational Design Lead for HDR and helped pioneer their global Data-Driven Design team, working for clients such as The Mayo Clinic, Gilead Sciences, Princeton University, and Canadian Nuclear Labs. Dan teaches a graduate seminar at his alma mater called “Data in Design”, researching with students the provocative potential that exists at the confluence of data and design
43. Daniel Howard
Job Title: Vice President, IT
Company: Sundt Companies
Headquarters: Tempe, AZ, USA
As a forward-thinking leader in technology and business, Daniel specializes in driving digital transformations in large-scale enterprises. His expertise lies in developing cutting-edge IT architectures and infrastructures, aligning them seamlessly with business objectives while optimizing costs and minimizing risks. His dynamic career is highlighted by a strong blend of leadership, innovative problem-solving, and strategic planning abilities. His comprehensive responsibility for profit and loss, alongside managing multimillion-dollar budgets, is underpinned by my commitment to integrity and ethical decision-making. He holds ITIL v3 certification.
44. Matt Wheelis
Job Title: SVP Strategy, Build & Construct
Company: Nemetschek Group
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Executive GTM strategy and product management leader and storyteller with extensive marketplace experience within the building and construction industry. Track record of passionately disrupting tradition with dynamic, client-centric solutions to ambitiously exceed predicted goals and increase market share. Enthusiastic and flexible, with the ability to influence through; conviction, data analytics, thoughtful strategies, and a commitment to culturally aligned, value-focused sales and brand loyalty success. Excellent multi-tasking and prioritization skills with a track record of utilizing strong interpersonal skills to influence and build credibility within a team-oriented, collaborative environment. Matt has experience in Strategy Facilitation, working with external agencies, consultants, and corporate partners to ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of high-quality material, within the company's organizational brand image.
45. Michael Pink
Job Title: CEO
Company: SmartPM
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Michael Pink, founder and CEO of SmartPM Technologies Inc., is a construction industry professional with over 20 years of experience in project controls, risk management, and dispute resolution. As a consulting professional, Michael specialized in capturing, organizing, and analyzing complex data sets related to commercial construction projects and converting them into meaningful insights designed to positively influence the bottom line. Michael's experience spans construction projects of all sizes and scopes across all sectors throughout the globe. Having seen firsthand the immense value that construction data analysis offered to the built world, Michael founded SmartPM in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2016 – a technology company that delivers advanced analytics in an automated fashion to stakeholders involved in commercial construction projects. By leveraging a multitude of trade secrets, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Pink’s approach to SmartPM is rooted in a commitment to practical problem-solving and helping project teams make informed, data-driven decisions.
46. Paul Cardis
Job Title: Co-founder & CEO
Company: On3
Headquarters: Madison, WI, USA
With over three decades of leadership experience in the construction industry, Paul brings a wealth of expertise to the stage as an educator and speaker. As the founder of Avid Ratings, he steered the company to serve over 2,500 clients across North America, earning prestigious recognition as a Top 50 Most Influential Technology Company in both 2014 and 2015. In a significant milestone, Paul successfully divested a majority of his ownership stake in Avid Ratings to former Microsoft executives and venture capital firms in 2019. Following a brief hiatus from entrepreneurial endeavors, Paul embarked on a new chapter, investing in groundbreaking startups, providing strategic consulting services, and co-founding On3.ai. This venture introduced an AI-driven mobile application designed to support frontline workers. Under Paul’s guidance, On3 garnered acclaim, earning distinctions such as the 2022 Most Innovative Startup by the National Association of Home Builders and the Ivory Prize top 10 finalist in the U.S. for housing affordability innovations in 2024. Paul’s academic journey includes studies at Harvard University, focusing on Business Analytics, and pursuit of a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he reached ABD (all but dissertation) status. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Paul’s career path included teaching secondary education instilling in him a profound passion for education and analytics that continues today.
47. Philippe Rival
Job Title: CEO & Cofounder
Company: Enlaye
Headquarters: Boston, MA, USA
Philippe is the CEO of Built-World Risk AI startup Enlaye, as well as a French-Australian entrepreneur, civil-engineer, bridge-builder, and two-time TEDx Speaker with a decade of hands-on field experience on residential, infrastructure and transportation projects across 5 countries. Working for the world’s largest private contractor, VINCI Construction, Philippe has served as Project, Bid, Proposal and Structures Manager on projects including a $2.7b transit project in Ottawa, Canada, an $800m bridge project in Louisville, USA, and a $150m luxury hotel project in Paris, France. Philippe received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his M.Eng in Civil Engineering from Imperial College London. As CEO of Enlaye, he sets the strategic vision for Enlaye, and leads the company’s growing team in Boston and Paris.
48. Ronny Leyes
Job Title: CEO
Company: Kontrad
Headquarters: Dubai, UAE
As the Founder and CEO of Con-Tech startup Kontrad, Ronny is on a mission to automate and streamline the contracting process for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) projects. With a background in law, Ronny rose to leadership as Counsel for prominent AEC companies including Alstom, Vinci, and KBR. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to empowering contracts management and business development teams, thereby facilitating the seamless acquisition and execution of infrastructure, real estate, and energy projects across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
49. Steven Ahn
Job Title: Corporate Strategy Lead
Company: Owens Corning
Headquarters: Toledo, OH, USA
Steve is an innovation, analytics, and strategy professional with a demonstrable track record of bridging business and science for both internal projects and external investments. Particularly adept at tactically scoping, proposing, then executing plans for bringing abstract concepts to quantifiable results with an emphasis on defining success criteria and coordinating across functions. Refined relational and professional communications skills. Natural leader who holds himself accountable to complete projects and who maintains composure under high-stress situations. Strong research professional with degrees in chemistry, economics, and materials science and engineering. Materials scientist with M&A experience.
50. Tanja Kufner
Job Title: Corporate Strategy Lead
Company: Nemetschek Group
Headquarters: Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Tanja Kufner is Head of Startups and Ventures at the Nemetschek Group, one of the worldwide leading software providers for the construction industry. Since 1998, she has been an active Early Stage investor. After working for various Funds, CVCs and a Single Family Office, she set up Wayra in Munich and later co-founded the Startupbootcamp Smart Transportation and Energy, a global accelerator around urban mobility in Berlin. Tanja has invested in over 70 startups at various stages of growth and has helped enterprises such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, Cisco, here, Vinci, Kühne + Nagel, SBB, EnBW, Telefónica, Siemens Mobile, MHP and DB on their innovation journeys. She is regularly recognized as one of the most influential women in Venture Capital. Tanja joined the Nemetschek Group in 2021.
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