nima expands its team
To help manage the growing volume of work involved in running nima, including its ongoing input to the refreshed approach to the Information Management Mandate, the volunteer-led, virtual organisation has recruited three new vice chairs. It has also introduced an additional non-executive director.
Following a call for expressions of interest from nima chair Anne Kemp in May 2024 (see Vice Chair changes at nima), a number of applications were received and followed up. The new vice-chairs are now being onboarded and taking on their new responsibilities.
New vice chairs
Melanie Dawson is a director of Origin7 Digital and Origin7 Digital Academy, based in Northern Ireland and operating on projects globally. Before setting up her business, she worked in digital, BIM and design roles for main contractor organisations. She is also a board member of Invest Northern Ireland, and an associate advisor to the Strategic Investment Board NI. Melanie has a long history of previous involvement with nima when it was the UK BIM Alliance, chairing its Northern Ireland group, and will be helping nima manage its network of specialist and regional networks, while also supporting the nima ambassadors and affiliates.
Sam Hardy is digital consulting manager for Europe and India at AECOM in London. He started his career in the built and managed environment working for a building services contractor in Brisbane, Australia. He then joined AECOM Australia in 2017, working on BIM delivery and information management before moving to London in April 2022 to become part of AECOM’s strategy and growth team. Sam will be helping manage nima’s operations team looking after its back-office systems and processes.
Rachel Heaton is engagement manager for Construction at GS1 UK. She has a strong background covering construction, project management and facilities management, having worked for nearly five years at Taylor Woodrow Construction and then spending 13 years at VINCI. Rachel worked on several major events, including the World Athletics Championships and the London 2012 Olympics, and is a certified member of the IWFM. She joined GS1 in January 2022. Rachel will be enhancing nima’s relationships with patrons, looking to strengthen existing connections and also to bring in new patrons from across the built and managed environment.
New non-executive director
In addition to the three new Vice Chairs, nima has also strengthened its group of non-executive directors.
Benedict Wallbank joins nima as a NED, having also had extensive previous engagement with the organisation dating back to its UK BIM Alliance days. Benedict is BIM strategy and partnerships manager at Trimble EMEA, and has represented the company on nima’s Technology Group. An architect by training, he worked for architectural practices for 20 years before moving into the technology realm, working for Graphisoft for three years from 2014, before joining 4Projects (later Viewpoint, and now part of Trimble) in 2015. Within nima, Benedict will particularly be advising upon the activities of nima services, including the GIIG, a not-for-profit business under the nima umbrella. He was a member of the working group that supported the GIIG’s production of an interoperability code of practice for technology providers published in April 2023 (see Interoperability Code of Practice launched).
A welcome from the chair
Anne Kemp, chair of nima, says:
“I am delighted to welcome Melanie, Sam, Rachel and Benedict into their new roles at nima. They join an experienced group of existing vice chairs and non-executive directors at an exciting time for the organisation, and our expanded team has already had a fruitful day’s discussion of nima’s future direction and strategy.
“Our immediate priority will be to support the continued development and launch of the refreshed approach to the Information Management Mandate (see 14 March news). We have been working with industry colleagues from the Construction Leadership Council on this since late 2023, and are aiming to release the revised approach at the nima Autumn Virtual Conference on 7 November 2024.”
