Real-World AI for Construction

Nick Heim, P.E. is Director of Innovation and Co-Founder of Trinovate Advisors, where he works with AEC firms every week on AI adoption. Not the keynote version with buzzwords and vendor demos. The version where half the team is skeptical, somebody bought a tool nobody uses, and leadership needs a plan that actually sticks. He hosts the AEC AI & Tech Strategy Podcast (100+ episodes). 

Bio coming soon!

Christian serves as a PMIS project executive and technology SME. He manages a technical team of business analysts, solutions architects, and developers, responsible for PMIS system implementations and new application development. Before joining Procon, Christian served as a project manager, systems analyst, and program manager at GSA for 18 years. 

James Garner is a pioneering digital and data leader in the construction industry, driving transformation through AI, analytics, and strategic innovation. Starting his career as a Quantity Surveyor in 2000 after earning first-class honours, he became a Chartered Member of RICS in 2002 and a Fellow in 2012 for his technical writing contributions to the RICS Black Book.

He has delivered major projects across the UK, including for Imperial College and at Oxford University. At Gleeds, James progressed from heading the Education sector in London to becoming the firm's Global Head of AI and Data, where he leads a function focused on business intelligence, project analytics, AI implementation, and digital maturity.

In 2022, he formally qualified as a data analyst, enhancing his ability to bridge traditional consultancy with emerging technologies. James now spearheads the integration of AI into project delivery, commercial consultancy, and strategic planning across global operations.

James served as Chair of the Project Data Analytics Taskforce from 2023-2025, a cross-industry initiative accelerating AI and data adoption across the built environment, uniting industry, academia, and government in shaping the future of projects. He now contributes to industry standards and practice through his roles on the APM AI and Data Working Group, the RICS Construction Professional Group Panel, and the working group developing the RICS guidance note on the responsible use of AI.

He was named one of the DataIQ 100 in 2023 for his influence in advancing the use of data in construction.

James also publishes Project Flux, a weekly newsletter and podcast helping professionals stay ahead in AI, data, and digital transformation. www.projectflux.ai

As Vice President Strategy Asset Lifecyle and Kahua, I bring over 30 years of leadership in marketing, strategy, and product management, with a focus on cloud solutions for the building industry. I'm passionate about shaping the future of the workplace, AI, and smart buildings—topics I regularly explore through contributions to the Forbes Business and Technology Councils and speaking engagements at major industry events. I serve as Vice Chair of the NIBS COBie Task Group and sit on the board of the IFMA Technology Council, helping drive innovation and standards across the built environment. I hold a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona and remain deeply committed to advancing technology’s role in transforming how we design, manage, and experience spaces.Strategy for Asset Centric

 Sophie is an Industry Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in AEC software and digital twins. She provides strategic guidance to both technology buyers and software vendors, delivering insights on market dynamics, product innovation and competitive positioning. Sophie's research spans more than 100 vendors in the CMS space. Her insights help vendors identify growth opportunities and sharpen their go-to-market strategies, while enabling buyers to optimize investments, mitigate business risk and align solutions with evolving CMS demands. Sophie joined Verdantix in 2023 and brings previous experience in landscape architecture, sustainable design and regulatory frameworks. She holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Exeter. 

For over thirty years, Randy Deutsch FAIA has been a leading architect and educator, author, international keynote speaker, workshop leader, administrator, and AI researcher. In the last decade Randy has authored 6 books, including Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice (a “Best Future of Technology Book of All Time” recipient.) This spring Randy will publish his 7th book, The Agentic Architect: AI and the Resurgence of Practice (Routledge, June 2026) Randy is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. More about Randy https://www.randydeutsch.com 

Bert Aultman is Manager of the Business and Technology Management Division, for Procon Consulting, LLC, a full-service asset management consultancy in Arlington, VA. Bert has managed multiple large technology implementation programs for both private and public clients. His practice areas include organizational and operational planning, change management, technology, capital and operating budgeting, performance management, and process improvement. Bert has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently managing a Program Management team supporting GSA’s Office of Facility Management and staff supporting the implementation of PMIS solutions for Architect of the Capitol and GSA's Office of Design and Construction. 

 As CTO & Managing Director at Accenture’s Infrastructure & Capital Projects practice, I apply Agentic and Generative AI across the full capital project lifecycle from design and engineering through testing, commissioning, and handover. The results: compressed schedules, reduced cost, eliminated risk, and amplified team performance. What sets my perspective apart: 35+ years leading technology in environments where AI meets physical consequence construction sites, medical devices, autonomous vehicles, robotics. I don’t just understand AI strategy. I’ve built the systems, owned the P&L, and delivered at scale. Career impact at a glance: ▪ Scaled enterprise platform portfolio from $640M to $1.4B at Hitachi ▪ Owned $200M P&L for cloud solutions 40% growth in two years ▪ Built a 25-person team pr Product, Regulatory and clinical leaders, driving regulatory quality for a portfolio of Class I/II medical device portfolio ▪ Managed partner integration for Automotive OEMs at Amazon Lab126 ▪ M&A lead for Hitachi acquisition of oXya leading post-acquisition at $130M annual run rate ▪ 3x HDS Circle of Excellence Hitachi’s highest recognition I’ve built and scaled businesses at Hitachi (25 years), Amazon, and as a co-founder, leading global organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia. I’m a frequent speaker on AI adoption in capital projects including the hard challenges of trust, governance, and building systems that perform in the field, not just in the lab. What drives me: making the complex simple, and the theoretical real. 

I spent a decade modeling and detailing complex steel structures across the U.S., from big box retail to hospitals to everything in between. Started as an apprentice at my family business, ABSI, in 2012. Worked my way to VP by 2018. Along the way, I watched the same pattern repeat at every firm I touched: good people buried under disconnected tools, broken handoffs, and technology nobody asked for. In 2019, my brother Eddie and I launched Construction Brothers, a podcast exploring the real challenges facing our industry. Six years and hundreds of conversations later, the signal was clear ... contractors don't have a technology problem. They have an orchestration problem. That's why I started FieldProof. FieldProof is a construction technology and process advisory for subcontractors, GCs, and owners. We help firms that have grown faster than their systems diagnose the chaos, prioritize what to fix, and orchestrate improvements that actually stick. We polled our network of construction professionals and found that 66% describe their tech stack as patchwork or chaos. Only 7% feel optimized. That's not a buying problem. It's a visibility problem. If your tools don't talk to each other, your processes are held together by workarounds, and nobody owns the technology strategy ... that's exactly what we fix. The fun stuff: I play violin, viola, guitar, piano, mandolin and sing. Detailed steel for over 120 Wawa gas stations. Knob Creek 12yr is the real MVP. And pineapple on pizza is a federal offense."