Eric has been at the forefront in the application of technology to improve efficiency. His early engineering career was in the development of leading edge automation of manufacturing processes, applying technology to improve quality and speed of manufacturing processes. He was also an early adopter of 3D design and BIM (Building Information Modelling). Following this, Eric worked with a start-up company to transition out of R&D into large scale manufacturing. In the last ten years Eric has transitioned his skills from Manufacturing and applied this knowledge to transport infrastructure engineering and construction. Eric has a passion for technology and driving industry change. Working on the implementation and standardisation of Digital Engineering in Infrastructure, he was formally EIC’s Principal for Digital Integration and Capability supporting the CIMIC Operating companies which include: CPB Contractors, UGL, Leighton Asia, Thiess, Sedgman and Broad. Eric is now CEO of Kephron Pty Ltd, providing strategic consulting and training.

Holger is the CEO and Founder of Modmation, offering independent BIM and Digital Engineering consultancy services to the AECO industry. Holger has previously led the BIM implementation while employed at HDR as their National Director of BIM for the Australian region, and at Grimshaw Architects as their Office BIM Manager for the Sydney studio. At both, he was responsible for interacting with various disciplines and advising on BIM matters at all levels.

Holger is not only passionate about the implementation of BIM in the design and documentation phase, but he also has a strong link to the Digital Engineering side of projects, having participated in and managed projects in a variety of roles in Australasia and Europe. Holger is also a Sessional Lecturer at the University of NSW, registered with the Chamber of Architects of Lower Saxony (#020262) in Germany, certified BIM Manager with BIMcreds, and a sought-after author and speaker.

With over 30 years of experience in digital transformation, Sandra’s professional journey has been deeply rooted in the international construction and transport industries. She holds a master's degree in Global BIM Management with a specialized focus on openBIM implementation. Currently leading the Digital Engineering team for SYSTA ANZ, she is also an integral part of SYSTRA's corporate Digital Engineering team, leading their Digital Twin innovation stream.

After 2 decades in the construction industry in Germany where she was at the forefront of early 3D project initiatives, she transitioned to the transport sector leading on client-side the BIM and Asset Information delivery of the Doha Metro project. She has also been involved in major global transport projects like the UK's High-Speed Rail and the Sydney Metro West and Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport projects in Australia. As a female with a leading position in a traditionally male-dominated field, Sandra brings diversity and fresh insights to the Board.

An active member of buildingSMART Australasia for many years and a partner of the working group that drove the development of the current National BIM Initiative, Jim has had a career-long interest in BIM. Starting with a Research Masters during the late 1970s that demonstrated the concept of 3D building modeling technology, Jim’s research in the area saw him offered an academic post at UNSW from 1981-2012. Whilst retired from university teaching, Jim remains an active member of the industry as a current member of the Australian Standards Mirror Committee appointed to a number of ISO Working Groups delivering continual improvement on BIM standards, and the buildingSMART International Infrastructure Committee currently focused on coordinating new work to extend the IFC data schema into the infrastructure space. Jim’s BIM vision is to engage the industry in greater and more effective use of BIM across both public and private procurement in Australia and New Zealand.

Mark Fairbairn is the National Sales & Marketing Manager for Masterspec in New Zealand; an industry owned organisation that provides a specification platform to over 1500 practices and more than 200 industry product partners nationally. Mark has over 15 years’ experience in the construction sector and is committed to the ideal that openBIM will provide a collaborative environment for the benefit of the entire sector.

One of the more recent innovations Mark has undertaken has been to develop the concept for MasterKey. An industry first, which allows BIM toolset to link to the specification platform. This link provides for the integration of content, shared across both platforms which leads to consistent documentation and reduced risk to the industry. Mark continues to innovate and develop this toolset and leads the team to improve the design and implementation the tool set.

Jon has a proven track record in achieving practical outcomes using openBIM standards and technologies. He has opensourced his C# IFC toolkit for reading and writing IFC files (view on GitHub) and taken a leading role on prototyping technologies such as ifcjson and applying version control such as git to an ifc repository. He is a member of the Building Smart International Model Support Group, providing sample files for the technical documentation and testing proposals for IFC improvements.

Jon brings technical and practical openBIM experience to the buildingSMART Australasia Board, that helps facilitate a stronger awareness and successful adoption of openBIM for clients and projects in Australia. In 2018 Jon supported the buildingSMART Australasia board with organisation and execution of the “openBIM: Getting It Right” technical workshops.

Dr Julie Jupp is Associate Professor of Digital Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in the Faculty of Engineering and IT. Julie’s research, teaching and professional interests lie in the creation of a smart, resilient and sustainable built environment.

As an interdisciplinary academic, Julie works in the cross-cutting fields of digital engineering that link model-based design and construction with intelligent operations and maintenance, resulting in smart built environments. Research impacts originate from innovative contributions to the theory and praxis of sustainability, with the goal being to advance data-driven processes, and inform the policy and practice of smart property development, construction and operations.

As the co-founder and Director of Research for the not-for-profit International Intelligent Building Organisation (IIBO), Julie aims to make a difference and help industry push the frontiers of digital building capabilities. In this role Julie is leading the development of the Intelligent Building (IB) Index, a multi-criteria performance assessment method for measuring the intelligence of smart buildings and precincts.

Julie is also an active member of a number of academic and industry committees, including the Technical Education Committee in the Australasian BIM Advisory Board (ABAB), a core member of the BIM Excellence (BIMe) Initiative, SYDBIM Consortium, and Intl. Federation for Information Processing’s PLM Working Group (WG 5.1). In the Faculty of Engineering and IT, Julie is teaching studio-based and industry-engaged courses on Digital Engineering and BIM, including under- and postgraduate subjects in 3D modelling, model-based co-ordination, 4D construction scheduling and simulation, and BIM management. Julie has published in the fields of design science, engineering design, BIM, through-life knowledge and information management, multidisciplinary design optimisation, and artificial intelligence.

Aaron is a highly experienced Enterprise Solutions Consultant with over 18 years of global experience across diverse sectors. He specialises in the strategy, design, and implementation of enterprise technology solutions, supporting organisations in planning future infrastructure and delivering operational digital ecosystems. A key area of his expertise is assisting projects, clients, and organisations in planning and achieving their Digital Twin applications, enabling real-time, data-driven insights to enhance decision-making and operational performance.

Aaron’s work focuses on aligning digital strategies with organisational objectives, bridging the gap between innovation and practical delivery. He has successfully guided numerous organisations through the adoption of transformative technologies, ensuring seamless integration of solutions that drive scalability, efficiency, and long-term value. With a strong track record of delivering tailored and future-ready digital frameworks, Aaron remains a trusted leader in helping organisations harness technology to unlock their full potential in an increasingly digital world.

Gavin Cairns has been involved in Queensland’s transport infrastructure sector since 2006 and has been a key driver in the adoption of openBIM across the state. He has led the development of openBIM documentation, data standards and supporting software systems since the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ first BIM pilot in 2014, working closely with the TMR Digital Systems team and industry partners.

Through collaboration with buildingSMART, Gavin and the TMR team have aligned contract documentation and digital workflows with IFC, IDS and IDM standards. This work has enabled stronger lifecycle asset management, including interoperability between project information  models, GIS platforms and TMR’s Asset Management systems.

Recognised with a Special Mention in the 2025 buildingSMART International Awards, Gavin is widely regarded for his expertise in IFC schema, attribute standardization and BIM data validation. Gavin remains passionately committed to contributing to openBIM standards and advocating for the long-term value of digital engineering.