A quantity surveyor by profession, Seán Canney worked in the private sector for 25 years. Prior to his election to the Dáil in 2016, Seán Canney lectured in construction economics and quantity surveying at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) for more than nine years.

A community activist for many years, Seán Canney is Public Relations Officer for Belclare/Sylane Community Council and was chairperson of the council when it developed the Community Sports facility in Belclare. As a member of Corofin GAA, he served as Assistant Secretary for a number of years.

First elected to Galway County Council in 2004, Seán Canney was re-elected in 2009 and 2014 and was Mayor of County Galway in 2007-2008. During his period as a county councillor, he was a member of the Planning and Development SPC and Vice Chairperson of the Inter County Rail Committee.

Having been elected to the Dáil as TD for Galway East, Seán Canney was appointed Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief. He also served as Assistant Chief Whip and was a member of the Council of Europe.

The Taoiseach appointed Seán Canney Minister of State in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment in October 2018. His role included special responsibilities for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development.

As Minister, Seán Canney was chairperson of the following bodies: The Atlantic Economic Corridor Task Force; the National Advisory Council to Government for Online Safety; and the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force Implementation Group.

In January 2025 Seán Canney was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rails and Ports.

Seán Canney is also Leader of the Independent Team of Ministers and sits at Cabinet.

Gerard Nicholson is a Lecturer and Programme Coordinator in Architectural Technology at Atlantic Technological University (ATU). He serves as a faculty member within the School of Built Environment's Department of Building and Civil Engineering. Gerard is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (MCIAT) and recently led and chaired both the CIAT and RIAI accreditation visits in 2026. Alongside his role as Programme Chair, he is involved in developing and delivering postgraduate courses in Digital Construction. Additionally, he has acted as an examiner for the Digital Infrastructure Design competition at the WorldSkills Ireland event since 2022.

Ciaran has 11 years of experience working in the Construction Industry and offers a wealth of expertise and skills including ACC Management, Training & Implementation.

Ciaran recently transitioned to the Autodesk Partner channel and brings within him software skills in the Autodesk AEC Collection and Autodesk Constructional Cloud, offering exceptional assistance to our clients at every turn.

Mairéad Morgan is Head of Community for Autodesk Forma, where she leads a global community around AI, data-driven design, and the next generation of tools shaping the AEC industry.

With more than 20 years in architectural practice, her path to the role runs through senior BIM leadership. As BIM Lead Europe and Middle East at Grimshaw, she led digital excellence across the London, Paris, and Dubai studios. Before that, as Specialist UK BIM Innovation Lead at Buro Happold, she led the Specialist Consulting BIM team across 14 disciplines, driving digital, computational, and technological innovation. Her project experience spans aviation and transportation, education, justice, commercial, high-end residential, build-to-rent, retail, culture, and interiors.

Now at the front line of BIM 2.0, she works with early adopters of Autodesk Forma and AI. Her Community team runs on a set of specialised agents she designs and operates herself, a working example of what makes agentic workflows reliable for AEC teams.

Mairéad has been a Women in BIM Mentor since the programme's inception and is a current WIB Regional Lead, championing diversity and inclusion across the AECO industry. She is a RIBA Judge 2026, a 2026 Top 50 Contech Judge, and a regular keynote speaker, panellist, and judge across the UK, Ireland, and US construction tech scene.

Daniel Byron is a Senior DPS Project Lead at BAM Ireland with a focus on BIM, digital construction, and information management. He supports the delivery of major projects through digital innovation, collaborative workflows, and ISO 19650 implementation, helping project teams improve efficiency, coordination, and project outcomes.

Dave is a figurehead in digital engineering with over 30 years of global experience creating value for governments and infrastructure clients. His career, spanning major contractors and consultancies like Balfour Beatty, Mace, and AECOM, has focused on mapping digital developments to critical business objectives across all sectors.

A Chartered Construction Manager, Dave has held highly influential roles including Head of BIM Implementation for the UK Cabinet Office, where he drove the government's BIM and Soft Landings mandate. He also chaired the Scottish Government’s BIM Delivery Group and served as Impact Director for the Construction Innovation Hub.

Out with the day job he continues to shape the industry as a Professor at Heriot-Watt University and Chair of the Chartered Institute of Building's (CIOB) Digital and Innovation Advisory Panel.

Daria Choromanska is Training Manager at CitA Skillnet, where she supports workforce development across Ireland’s construction and built environment sector.

With more than 10 years’ experience in training and industry engagement, Daria works with employers, training providers and Skillnet Ireland to identify emerging skills needs and develop relevant programmes in areas including AI, digital construction, sustainability and leadership.

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management, an MA in Sociology, and a Professional Diploma in Artificial Intelligence for Business.

Gavin Fox is Director of Business Development at CPAC Modular, an Irish leader in modular and offsite construction. With a background in business development, construction and innovation, Gavin works at the intersection of industrialised construction, MMC and market development.

He has played a key role in CPAC’s evolution to a manufacturing-led business focused on permanent modular buildings, MEP modules, bathroom pods and other offsite solutions.

Gavin is passionate about the potential of industrialised construction to transform how buildings are designed, manufactured and delivered. He is particularly interested in how MMC can move beyond its traditional applications to address challenges across education, residential, healthcare, PBSA, hospitality and other sectors.

Mary C. Flynn FSCSI FRICS MAPM MSc aBIMM

Mary has worked in the AEC industry for over 35 years in Ireland & the UK. Mary joined Dublin City Council Quantity Surveying Division in 2016 having previously come from a private sector and commercial sector background. Mary is co-founder of the Public BIM Group comprising of the major public bodies collaborating on common interests such as BIM, Public Works Contracts, and Digital transformations. Mary sits on the SCSI QS BIM Working Group focusing on the development and use of 5D BIM amongst the Quantity Surveying profession. Mary also sits on the ICMS Working Group and is actively involved as APC Assessor/Chair for the SCSI.

Mary is a non-executive Director of CitA and regularly contributes at conferences as a speaker both at home & abroad on BIM & the QS, Public BIM and BIM & Smart Cities. Mary is passionate about the use of Data for the Public Good through its collection, harvesting, mining and analytics. Mary guest lecturers with various Colleges, having previously lectured for a number of years part-time in TUDublin.

Mary is Secretary General of the CEEC- the European Council of Construction Economists, an umbrella body whose members include the National European QS Institutions such as SCSI, RICS and UNTEC. Mary is also the ICMS Trustee for the CEEC and an ICE Awards Judge.

Pat Kirwan is President of IC-Europe – the European Association for Industrialised Construction, Co-Founder and Director of MMC Ireland, and Associate Director and Head of Industrialised Design + Construction (IDC) at Reddy Architecture + Urbanism.

With significant experience across architecture, design and construction, Pat focuses on the transformation of construction from traditional project-based delivery towards more integrated, repeatable and manufacturing-led approaches. His expertise includes Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), digitalisation, productisation and the integration of design with offsite manufacturing.

Through IC-Europe, Pat works at European level to strengthen collaboration between policy makers and industry and advance greater harmonisation, standardisation and adoption of industrialised construction. In Ireland, he has played an active role in developing the national MMC agenda through MMC Ireland and engagement with Government and industry.

Pat previously served on RIAI Council, co-authored the RIAI DfMA guidance and has presented on MMC and housing delivery to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing.

He holds an MSc from the University of Salford, where his research into MMC and housing delivery in Ireland received the Mott MacDonald Award for Excellence.

Rubens Lage Lopes is a BIM Information Manager at Grangegorman Development Agency with an MSc in BIM and more than 25 years’ experience in construction and digital delivery.

His mission is to turn complex project information into simple, measurable KPIs. He uses AI and automation to prevent coordination issues, measure design readiness and highlight risk and potential cost exposure.

Dan O’Gorman joined GS1 Ireland in November 2023, bringing more than 43 years of international experience in programme and operations management across the technology and construction sectors. He works with the built-environment supply chain to turn complex project and product information into practical, trusted data that supports better design, specification, procurement, delivery and asset management.

His expertise spans process improvement, digitisation and project controls. Throughout his career, he has helped major international organisations achieve significant cost and schedule efficiencies on projects in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Middle East, China and the United States.

This experience enables him to understand the priorities of architects, specifiers, quantity surveyors, clients, manufacturers and offsite fabricators, and to connect their information needs across the project lifecycle.

Dan is a strong advocate for digital continuity: maintaining reliable information from design intent and specification through manufacture, offsite fabrication, construction and operation.

By combining GS1 identification standards, automatic identification and trusted product data he helps stakeholders create a practical “Single Source of Truth”, improve traceability and assurance, reduce avoidable waste and support environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.

His focus is on making emerging technology useful, accessible and valuable for organisations across the built environment.

Padraig Boland is the FET Manager with Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB), with specific responsibility for the Strategi Projects.

His initial project in this role was LOETB’s response to Just Transition in the Irish Midlands and now includes its contribution to Ireland’s adoption of Modern Methods of Construction. Padraig focuses on driving sustainable regional development through cutting-edge skills training.

Working closely with LOETB colleagues and key strategic partners, he ensures these high-tech upskilling and reskilling pathways directly empower the enterprises, communities, and individuals navigating the transition away from peat extraction and traditional construction industries.

Nata Zaman is Deputy Director of Equipping for NHS England’s New Hospital Programme, leading the furniture, fittings and equipment strategy within Hospital 2.0. Her work connects clinical requirements, medical technology and hospital design to support standardisation, industrialisation and operational readiness across the programme.

With more than 25 years’ NHS experience, Nata previously led Clinical Engineering at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and spent two decades at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. She brings a practical understanding of how equipment, infrastructure and digital systems must work together to support patient care.

Nata is also Secretary General of the Global Clinical Engineering Alliance.

Davitt’s work focuses on improving how information is managed across the built environment. As Head of BIM at the National Standards Authority of Ireland, he leads activities in BIM standards, certification and industry engagement, while representing Ireland in international and European standards development through both ISO and CEN technical committees.

He is also undertaking PhD research into the roles and competencies needed to deliver effective BIM and information management. Drawing on leadership experience across practice, education and research, Davitt is particularly interested in translating standards into practical approaches that help organisations strengthen capability, improve collaboration and deliver better project outcomes.

As a Chartered Architectural Technologist and Consultancy Director, Jonathan has worked across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector since 2005, developing a career at the intersection of design, construction and digital transformation. His experience spans technical delivery, commercial leadership and strategic advisory, giving him a broad understanding of how buildings are conceived, delivered and operated.

Jonathan holds a master's degree in BIM Management, and a BSc Degree in Architectural Technology, and Jonathan has contributed to academic research and higher education, lecturing in Building Information Modelling (BIM), ISO 19650, Architectural Technology and construction digitalisation.

Eugene Corrigan is an Associate Director with KOSMOS and a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with extensive experience delivering cost and commercial management services across major infrastructure, technology, healthcare and public sector projects in Ireland and internationally. He specialises in strategic cost planning, commercial management, project controls and digital solutions that support better investment decisions and improved project outcomes.

Throughout his career, Eugene has advised clients on the successful delivery of complex capital programmes, with a particular interest in the use of data, digital tools and emerging technologies to enhance cost certainty, governance and project performance across the construction sector.

Zulkefly Abu Bakar is an architecture graduate with over 20 years of experience in BIM. He currently manages BIM teams and projects at Hyceon, Data Centre Advisors (formerly MCA Architects). His research and development work focuses on BIM governance, digital collaboration, and the practical application of emerging technologies.

Darragh Ryan is a Chartered Structural Engineer with 15 years of industry experience and currently serves as Head of Commercial at Remagin.

After spending 10 years in London as a consulting structural engineer, he transitioned into the MMC sector, where he specialises in Light Gauge Steel construction and offsite delivery solutions.

Darragh combines strong technical expertise with commercial leadership, supporting the successful delivery of innovative building projects throughout Ireland.

Tomás is the SCSI President and a member of the SCSI Board and Council. A Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 30 years’ experience, Tomás is a Director with AECOM in Ireland, working across the full range of public and private sector construction projects.

He has a keen interest in construction sector research and contributes to a range of SCSI reports and submissions.

He has also delivered lectures on cost management as part of the SCSI / RIAI training modules for the Office of Government Procurement Commercial Skills Academy.

Cillian Kelly FCIOB is Group Head of Digital Project Delivery at Sisk, leading digital engineering, design integration and construction transformation across major construction and infrastructure programmes throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, with an MSc in BIM Management and BSc (Hons) in Architectural Technology, he specialises in Construction Management, Design Engineering, DfMA, MMC, Geospatial Engineering, Digital Twins, Smart Infrastructure and AI-enabled solutions.

Passionate about transforming how projects are designed, delivered, and operated, Cillian works at the intersection of design, construction, engineering, technology, and innovation, helping organisations standardise delivery, improve project certainty and accelerate the adoption of digital ways of working.

He is focused on harnessing data, technology and innovation to improve operational performance, enable scalable delivery models and strengthen the resilience of the built environment. Through an information-led approach, Cillian helps clients, project teams and asset owners deliver safer, more efficient, sustainable, and future-ready infrastructure that creates lasting value throughout the asset lifecycle.

Claire Penny is a partner at Strat-edgy LLP, advising asset owners on smart building, digital twin and IoT strategies, and technology providers on go-to-market strategy and adoption.

Drawing on global leadership experience at IBM Watson IoT and Invicara, she combines strategic advisory expertise with active involvement in ISO and BSI standards development and serves as Chair of CITA.

She is a holder of a PhD from Liverpool John Moores University.

Frederic Vaeremans is Director of Digital Solutions at Tetra Tech, a leading global provider of consulting and engineering services in areas including water, the environment, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and high-performance buildings.

In his role, Frederic leads the adoption of artificial intelligence and generative AI across Tetra Tech’s international operations. He developed and launched TetraAgent, Tetra Tech’s proprietary generative AI platform, making it available to employees across the organisation.

He also leads practical initiatives that support adoption, including hands-on training in prompt writing and AI agent development, global AI Week programmes, show-and-tell sessions, and communities of practice across more than 45 business units.

Frederic’s work focuses not only on introducing new technology, but on making it useful, accessible, and sustainable in real-world professional environments.

He works with leadership teams to support AI strategy, governance, change management, and the integration of AI into everyday ways of working.

Based in Norway, Frederic brings a broad background in data, digital transformation, technology, business strategy, and organisational change.

His career has included senior leadership roles such as Chief Data Officer, Chief Data Solutions Officer, and Director of Technology and Innovation across engineering consultancy, healthcare infrastructure, housing, professional services, and education.

With academic qualifications in economics, international marketing, and business intelligence, Frederic takes a business-first approach to technology.

He is particularly interested in how AI can help engineering and construction organisations improve productivity, strengthen decision-making, develop new capabilities, and deliver greater value for clients.

Alex Small is the Founder and Project Lead at The Manufacturers' Information Hub, a pan-European not for profit organisation building a single access portal for all European construction product manufacturers to make their product data accessible.

He is seconded full time to do this role from his position as Digital Platforms & Innovation lead at Tata Steel UK where he has been leading the organisation on product data interoperability and BIM for ten years.

Alex represents worldsteel, EUROFER and UK steel in various digital construction standards committees and digital task groups. He is a keen advocate for structured data an integrated, digital, built environment.