Introducing new nima vice-chair Dave Peacock
Following the recent appointments of new nima vice chairs, this is the first in a series profiling our core team of volunteers.
1 – Who is Dave Peacock, nima’s new vice chair for volunteers?
DP: I was recently appointed as the UK Group director of IIMBE. The business was founded in Australia in 2020 by three experienced BIM, digital engineering and information management experts and aims to deliver a better way of working for its clients while unlocking the benefits of digital delivery for the industry.
The UK regional director and I are leading our team offering BIM/information management services and advising our clients. Our UK team is growing in line with the increasing projects and pipeline.
I was previously at Operance (BIMsense) where I was part of the board and led both the BIM Services business and also the project coordination team collating O&M and building safety information for clients. Other roles have included technical director at TUV SUD and BIM lead (Europe) at Haskoning.
My BIM journey started back in 2007 when I began leading 3D modelling and BIM management at one of the London Olympic projects, I have been in BIM/information management and leadership roles since then. I started in the AECO industry in the 1990s as a draughtsman, working my way up through the business over the following 16 years before I left to pursue more BIM-focussed roles.
2 – How/why did you get involved with nima?
DP: I firstly got involved in nima when it was the UK BIM Alliance, I attended the
East Midlands Region events and later joined the West Midlands Region around eight
years ago as part of its committee and then as vice chair. I wanted to assist in
moving the industry forward with regard to BIM; I was frustrated at the lack of
adoption and wanted to help change that however possible.
3 – What is your brief at nima?
DP: Having previously volunteered for several years with the UK BIM Alliance before it became nima, I have been appointed to coordinate the inputs of nima’s volunteers to the organisation’s activities and events. As a volunter-led, virtual, not-for-profit organisation, nima is heavily dependent upon the contributions of industry practitioners in information management. They help to manage the organisation, its activities and its online places; by creating content, speaking at events, and engaging with other industry organisations, they help sustain the organisation with their time, energy, expertise and enthusiasm.
4 – What do you aim to achieve in your first six months?
DP: My first six months are focussed on supporting the amazing volunteers that already assist nima, whilst also working with the chair and other vice chairs to identify and fill the activity gaps which need willing volunteers. Initially my focus has been on recruiting volunteers to support our communications activities and events – if this is of interest to anyone then please get in touch with me.
5 – How might people help you as a nima vice-chair?
DP: The chair and other vice chairs have been great so far in collaborating with me and helping me move forward with my role. Others in the industry can assist by coming forward as a volunteer or passing the opportunity onto others who may be interested. Nima and information management is for everyone, not just BIM/information managers. It’s for project managers, technicians, asset managers, company directors and everyone else. We are all information managers now.
6 – If you could change one thing about information management in the built and managed environment, what would it be?
DP: Global adoption of Industry Foundation Class (IFC) and an OpenBIM approach
would be the change I would make. The consistency offered by the IFC schema is
key to moving the industry forward. I think we need to be connecting asset and facilities management along with digital twin thinking, and expanding on compliance with the Building Safety Act (‘Golden Thread’).
