EDITORIAL GUIDANCE PANEL
The Editorial Guidance Panel lead by Build in Digital Editor, Simon Foulds, comprises leading voices from across the property and construction sectors. This panel provides strategic oversight and expert insight to ensure our editorial coverage remains authoritative, relevant, and forward-thinking. By drawing on their diverse expertise, members help shape our content agenda, highlight emerging trends, and maintain the high editorial standards our readers expect. Their input ensures Build in Digital continues to lead the conversation on innovation and digital transformation across the built environment.
Ciaran Garrick
Associate Director and
Head of Design Technology
at Allies and Morrison
Ciaran is an architect, lecturer and Head of Design Technology at Allies and Morrison, an architecture and urban planning practice based in London, UK. He has over 17 years of experience implementing BIM and design technology workflows on large-scale projects in the UK, North America and Asia. Ciaran leads a team of BIM, computation and data management specialists, with a focus on platform integration and automation of design and construction processes.
Ciaran also leads on a number of research initiatives in the practice, particularly in the area of sustainable design processes and digital technologies. This includes the use of BIM workflows to analyse building energy performance and also driving circular economy principles through the life of a project. Ciaran has presented this research at a number of conferences throughout the UK and internationally. He is a visiting lecturer at a number of universities throughout the UK and is a regular contributor to AEC journals and research papers.
Emma Hooper
Head of Information Management Strategy at RLB Digital
Emma Hooper is Head of Information Management Strategy at RLB Digital, Vice Chair of nima and buildingSMART UK & Ireland, and an Honorary Fellow of The University of Nottingham. Recognised as Digital Construction Champion of the Year in 2022, Emma is a leading advocate for digital construction and open standards within the built environment.
With deep expertise in information management and openBIM, Emma specialises in developing and implementing robust information strategies that support project delivery and long-term asset performance. She is a passionate supporter of open, collaborative approaches that drive efficiency, transparency, and better outcomes across the construction lifecycle.
In her leadership roles across key industry organisations, Emma actively contributes to shaping national and international standards, while also mentoring and supporting the next generation of digital construction professionals.
Mairead Gallagher Morgan
BIM Lead Europe & Middle East, Grimshaw, Women in BIM Mentor and Regional Lead
Mairéad Gallagher Morgan is the founder of MI+DS, is a UK based consultancy that advises architects, engineers, and construction professionals on how to bridge the gap from digital strategy, transformation, and innovation to project delivery in the architecture, engineering, construction and operational (AECO) sector.
Mairead is an accomplished architectural professional, with a diverse background in architecture, digital strategy, information management and BIM. Prior to founding MI+DS, Mairead most recently acted as the Specialist UK BIM Innovation Lead at Buro Happold where her focus was on leading the Specialist Consulting BIM team, driving digital, quality data, computational, and technological innovation across disciplines such as fire engineering, façade engineering, technology, acoustic engineering, security, and specialist lighting. As well as implementing new efficiencies Mairead worked as the Specialist BIM lead delivering multi-disciplinary packages on several complex global giga projects, and closely collaborating with the wider design teams.
Prior to her time at Buro Happold, Mairead worked at one of the leading top 5 UK architectural practices, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects. Her time in architectural practice of 17 years spans various sectors, including education, defence, justice, commercial architecture, high-end residential, build-to-rent, retail, and interior design.
Mairéad is a Women in BIM Mentor since its beginning, now in its fifth year. Through her mentoring she continues to contribute to diversity and inclusion within the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. As an ambitious individual and a working mother, she actively participates in ambassador roles, panel discussions, and advocacy for diversity and inclusion.
Mairéad will be speaking at various conferences in 2024, including UK Construction Week, London Build, as well as judging the Building Innovation Awards, where she’ll share insights on topics like automated construction management and digital innovations transforming the construction landscape.
Sam Stacey
Sam Stacey is a construction industry leader and writer on construction innovation. He has a unique perspective and a deep heritage in the built environment, having served on various boards, including the BRE, Construction Innovation Hub and Active Building Centre, and advised UK government and leading construction companies. He combines technical know-how with degrees from some of the world’s leading universities: in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, Engineering from Imperial College, London and an MBA from Henley Business School. From 2018 to 2022 Sam was Challenge Director for Transforming Construction at UKRI, and is now CEO of Stacx International.
Justin Kirby
Justin is an author and market engagement specialist who joins the dots between research, innovation, go-to-market activation and business transformation around 3 core activities: content, connections and conversations. He’s been conceiving and running large-scale stakeholder engagement programmes in various sectors for over two decades. More recently, Justin has been appointed as the Executive Officer for the Digital Buildings Council, the new industry group launched to enhance best practice and support the adoption of digital buildings. In this role, he also serves as facilitator of the Review of the Smart Buildings Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Works, a collaboration between the DBC and its original co-authors.
David Shepherd
Product Manager
(Data & Construction Programme Enablers)
David is the Digital Product Manager for the UK Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal Programme and the author of the internationally acclaimed best-selling BIM Management Handbook.
He is a respected voice in the industry, contributing numerous articles on the post-Grenfell building safety regime to leading construction publications such as BIMplus and the Association for Project Safety.
With over 20 years of hands-on experience in digital construction delivery, David has a proven track record of improving business outcomes on some of the world’s most prestigious and complex construction projects. His portfolio includes high-profile developments such as Al Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi, LG Science Park in South Korea, and Papworth Cardiac Hospital in Cambridge, UK.
Previously, David led an EMEA team of international consultants at Autodesk, where he delivered digital construction solutions for major global contractors, including Balfour Beatty, BAM, Kier (UK), Heijmans (Netherlands), Goldbeck (Germany), and both NCC and Skanska (Sweden).
A sought-after speaker at international industry conferences—such as Autodesk University, the BIM Coordinator’s Summit, London Build, and the Construction Digitalisation Conference in Latvia—David continues to share his deep expertise and insights into digital construction and innovation.
Gary McLuskey
Global Design Managing Director,
Greystar
I'm an RIBA chartered architect with over 25 years of experience in urban design and large-scale residential development. As the Global Design Managing Director at Greystar, I lead Greystar’s design group and the company's global design vision, strategy, and innovation across 17 countries.
Our purpose is to ensure that each residential community successfully integrates into the local neighbourhood and meets the aspirations of our residents. Collaborating closely with local teams, we provide design support to translate our vision into successful, impactful environments that resonate with residents and stakeholders alike.
Prior to joining Greystar, I worked as a strategic design advisor on a large number of masterplans and residential-led developments in and around London, delivering successful communities in collaboration with internationally renowned architecture practices.
I am inspired by innovative solutions to complex challenges that help projects realize their full potential, successfully aligning resident experience with investment strategies.
Marie Grieve
Founder and Managing Director, Costello Palmer Communications
Marie Grieve is the Founder and Managing Director of Costello Palmer Communications, a global marketing and communications consultancy known for its strategic, insight-led approach to digital content and high-performance brand delivery. With over 20 years of experience in marketing and business development, Marie is an expert growth strategist with a reputation for delivering impactful, creative campaigns that drive measurable results.
Since founding Costello Palmer in 2015, she has led the company’s expansion into international markets, establishing offices in London, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Santa Monica, USA. Her client portfolio spans both public and private sectors, including central and local governments, and leading organisations across architecture, engineering, manufacturing, and digital construction.
Marie is also a prominent advocate for diversity and innovation within the built environment. She serves as Global Vice Chair of Women in BIM (WIB), is a dedicated mentor for both WIB and London & Partners, and contributes to the City of London Corporation’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce. Her collaborative work with respected institutions such as RIBA, AIA, and buildingSMART International reflects her commitment to shaping the future of the AEC industry through communication, inclusion, and strategic leadership.
A skilled podcaster and storyteller, Marie brings a unique voice to industry discussions, championing the power of narrative and brand to influence decisions and inspire change.
George Mokhtar
Real Estate Digital Leader, Turner & Townsend
George Mokhtar is Real Estate Digital Leader at Turner & Townsend, where he heads the UK Digital Services division. With over a decade of experience at the firm, George drives strategy, growth, and innovation across digital construction, information management, and transformation programmes. A recognised leader in BIM, digital twins, and AI for the built environment, he is focused on helping clients achieve exceptional performance through smarter, digital-first approaches.
Maria Coulter
With a career spanning over 30 years in the industry as a Quantity Surveyor, Project Manager and Risk Manager, Maria’s interest in personal development led her to become a qualified Personal and Business Coach in 2012.
Maria is passionate about bringing positive, lasting change to the industry and launched Construction Coach in 2014 working with SME’s and micro-businesses to build stronger, more profitable and happier businesses.
Maria’s ethos is all about the ‘Construction Revolution’ which is encouraging the industry to move away from the ‘race to the bottom’ on cost and the boom and bust culture that runs through it. This is reflected in her Federation of Master Builders Coaching Programme and also the recent launch of the Solving Tech for Small Builders programme, funded by the CITB Impact Fund.
To influence change Maria has been a Non-Executive Director on the Construction Industry Council national board, former Chair of the CIC EDI Committee and current member of the Construction Leadership Council working groups, Skills for a Modernised Industry and Repair, Maintenance and Improvement.
Dr Melanie Robinson
Associate and Strategic Advisory lead at BIM Academy
Melanie is an Associate and Strategic Advisory lead at BIM Academy, specialising in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and information management according to ISO 19650. She manages several projects across multiple sectors within the UK and internationally, and works closely with clients to develop bespoke digital strategies for project and asset management. Melanie’s interests include change management, standardisation, and digital collaboration, and also acts as Regional Lead for Newcastle-upon-Tyne for Women in BIM. She also sits on the Special Interest Group for the Golden Thread for the Building Safety Alliance and the Industry Advisory Board for the School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. Melanie holds a PhD from Edinburgh Napier University, which investigated the micro-level factors to an effective macro-level diffusion of BIM, including the gap between perceived and actual efficacy of BIM understanding and skills.
James Thomas
Head of Digital Buildings, SES Centre
James is responsible for the Digital Building strategy at SES and Wates. He believes that digital enablement, data and technology are the key enablers to delivering efficient, sustainable and high performing buildings. SES and Wates recognise digital engineering as the golden thread that connects the concept design right through to aftercare, and how the wisdom that we gain from data positively influences future designs, sustainable procurement decisions and our environment.
May Winfield
Global Director of Commercial, Legal and Digital Risks, BuroHappold
May is the Global Director of Commercial, Legal and Digital Risks at international engineering firm, BuroHappold. May is a senior construction lawyer of over 19 years’ experience and is recognised as a leading legal specialist in BIM and construction technology. May has co-authored various documents in this field, including legal guidance on the ISO19650, an ISO19650-compliant Information Protocol and a JCT Practice Note on BIM. She is one of the co-authors of the Centre for Digital Built Britain’s Digital Twins Roadmap and Digital Twins Toolkit Report. She is a nima Ambassador, and co-founder and chair of BIM4Legal. May won Best Woman in Construction Law in the Women in Construction and Engineering Awards 2020, was named as one of the Construction Idols by London Build 2022, and most recently won the Compliance Innovator award at the highly regarded Lexology European Counsel Awards 2023.
Dale Sinclair
Digital Innovation at WSP
Described as a pragmatic futurist, Dale Sinclair, Director and Head of Digital Innovation at WSP, is driven to transform project delivery through innovative use of digital technologies and offsite manufacturing, collaborating with clients and contractors to harness the advantages of new manufacturing methods through kit-of-parts approaches. By integrating artificial intelligence into interdisciplinary workflows, he aims to revolutionise the approach to design complexity and future challenges including net zero. His global team is actively engaged in delivering cutting-edge projects. Dale is involved in many forums, helping stimulate and drive change in the built environment industry and he regularly talks at round table events, gives keynote addresses and publishes industry guidance.