Our People

CHAIRMAN

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Wesley Benn

RTC Events Management
A Sydney-based architect, Wesley is the founder of RTC Events Management. As a long-term user and advocate of BIM (starting with ArchiCAD in 1996), Wesley has been speaking and teaching in the field since starting to play with a pre-release version of Revit. 

Wesley has worked directly with Autodesk on Revit development and implementation, built content for manufacturers and end-users, and has implemented multiple BIM tools into well over 300 practices throughout South-East Asia. He is a regular speaker at events throughout Australia and overseas talking about technology, facilities management and process change; he founded (and chaired for 5 years) the Revit User Group, Sydney; and is now focused, via his partnership in theDIGITgroup, on SmartCities development worldwide.

COMMITTEE

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Nigel Ford

Atlas Industries Pty Ltd
Sponsorship Manager
Nigel Ford is a Chartered Engineer working for Atlas Industries, a collaboration company with its main Operation Centre in Saigon, Vietnam.

Nigel is currently working with Architects, Structural Engineers and Building Services Engineers, assisting them to collaborate on BIM Projects throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Nigel is originally from the UK where before joining Atlas, he worked in the Manufacturing Industry setting up factories in the UK and the USA, manufacturing Luxury Vinyl Floor Tiles for Amtico International.

Nigel’s mission is now to bring the ‘Just In Time’ and ‘Lean Manufacturing’ philosophies into the AEC Industry by promoting Open BIM Services, real collaboration and Integrated Project Delivery.

Richard Kuppusamy

WOHA
Speaker Manager
Richard Kuppusamy is a chartered British Architect with more than 15 years of experience in the AEC industry delivering large scale projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia regions. At WOHA Architects in Singapore, he is a Senior Architectural Designer and BIM Leader; taking a humanistic approach in designing solutions for sustainable high-rise, high-density, living in the tropical environments of South East Asia.

Richard’s expertise includes over 8 years’ experience in BIM implementation and strategic planning. He is responsible for leading multi-disciplinary collaboration teams and developing BIM workflows from conceptual design through to production information. Richard leverages his experience as an architect, in BIM implementation through project planning, critical thinking, and the ability to logically leverage technology to aid project efficiency.

Richard is a regular speaker at many conferences and has contributed to the development of the Building Construction Authority, Singapore BIM Guide. His experience in architecture and delivering BIM enabled projects encompasses a wide spectrum of sectors including education, commercial, residential, healthcare and transport.

Phil Lazarus

Lendlease
Marketing Manager
Phil Lazarus is an American Architect with over 15 years of experience in the design, documentation and construction of large projects around the globe. Immersed in 3d process from the start of his career, he has leveraged the power of BIM on the behalf of architects, engineers, contractors and clients. Involved with Singapore’s largest construction projects since 2006, Phil has been leading the charge in establishing BIM and promoting technology based innovation throughout Asia. Building upon a design background in stadia and assembly projects, he has established BIM teams for Lend Lease in Singapore, Malaysia and Shanghai focused upon creating construction value in project planning and delivery.

Working tirelessly to advance BIM adoption, Phil is a faculty member in the Singapore BCA’s BIM Specialist Diploma Program, building fundamental understanding of the process. Simultaneously, he has founded the “Forum for Advanced Revit Training in Singapore” to assist in developing core modelling skills amongst eager Revit users. Phil’s core belief is that experienced knowledgeable people with access to the highest levels of technology & training results in enterprise efficiency and improved project delivery.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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Jim Balding

The Ant Group
RTC Emeritus
Jim Balding is a visionary leader who combines an extensive knowledge of architecture and design practices with a passionate interest in technology. He is the Founder & CEO of The Architecture & New Technologies Group (The Ant Group), headquartered Orange, California. Jim has spent the last 30 years offering his architectural design and technology experience to private clients, AEC firms, property owners, and software companies. Jim is a practicing architect, consultant, technology enthusiast, author, educator, speaker, family man, and confidant.

Mr. Balding has been a leader in the Autodesk® Revit® software world for over 15 years. He founded the South Coast Revit User Group (SCRUG) and served as its president for 5 years. SCRUG is now the longest running Revit User Group in the world. Jim was also a co-author to Introducing and Implementing Autodesk Revit under the Autodesk Press label through 5 editions.

Jim, a licensed architect of over 20 years, has spent much of his career working with AEC firms and property owners on the proper implementation of design technologies in workflow and operations. He has served as an advisor to numerous startups and has been involved in several software beta programs including those for Revit, AutoCAD, Avail, SketchUp, Buzzsaw, Skooter, Revizto, Fuzor, ConceptCAD, and Showcase, among others. Jim has also served as an AEC Advisor to companies like Autodesk, ArchVision, HP, and Wacom. To learn more about Jim and his practice, visit www.theantgroup.com

Chris Needham

AECOM
Global Director, Partnerships, RTC Events
Region Chairman, BILT ANZ
Committee Member, Data Day
Chris works in AECOM's BIM Consulting Practice as a BIM Advisory Lead for the Southern Australia region. Chris' role is heavily focused on helping clients manage information effectively, whether during design, construction or operations. He's an advocate for the Abolition of Acronyms and Vagaries (AAV) in the pursuit of better communication and effective outcomes in an ever-changing environment. Prior to joining AECOM, Chris operated his own BIM consulting firm, assisting many firms in organisational change efforts, systems analysis and design, training programmes and project delivery. He has worked on projects in Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, using his experience to develop systems and processes for numerous organisations. Chris desperately hopes to one day cease his involvement in extra-curricular activities... though hopes his BILT commitments aren’t among those.

Phil Read

Read | Thomas
Director, Marketing and Communications
Committee Member, BILT North America
Phil Read is the co-founder of Read | Thomas - an AECO consulting group focused on connecting designers, builders and owners through cross-discipline and technology integration.

Phil has 20 years in Architecture and Engineering including 12 years experience using and implementing Autodesk Revit: the world's only fully parametric and integrated tool for the design of buildings. Since 2009, Phil has been one of the driving forces behind M-SIX and VEO™ - the world’s first fully integrated, cloud-based platform for visualization, construction and operations of buildings. A frequent public speaker and has presented Autodesk University and RTC on topics ranging from "Best Practices and Large Project Management" to "Parametric Design Iteration in Architecture" and the "Business Dynamics of Transitioning from 2D CAD to Building Information Modeling".

Among other high profile clients and projects, played a lead role in providing training, implementation and ongoing support for the Architectural, Mechanical and Structural Engineers on the Freedom Tower World Trade Center Initiative in New York.