Construcciones Yamaro: Meet this year’s ‘40 Under 40: Champions of Construction’

Autodesk has announced its 40 under 40: Champions of Construction for 2024, with 10 per cent of the prestigious list hailing from Australia and New Zealand’s construction industry.

Now in its sixth consecutive year, Autodesk’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction recognises industry professionals from around the world who have demonstrated creativity, drive and innovative thinking in their work, benefiting the industry at large.

Each year, Autodesk accepts nominations globally from construction industry companies for professionals under 40 years of age who have made a significant impact in their work and demonstrated exceptional leadership, or who are industry pioneers implementing or managing technology with a major impact on both their projects and companies.

In 2024, four of Australia and New Zealand’s best and brightest construction industry talents have been recognised as Champions of Construction, including:

Ed Whiting, operational supervisor at Badge Constructions in Adelaide;
Paniz Savad, digital delivery systems advisor at Beca in Auckland;
Nigel Skidmore, national digital engineering and drafting manager at D&E Air Conditioning in Melbourne; and
Camilo Valdes, BIM manager at HEB Construction in Auckland.

These four champions are part of a 10-strong cohort of industry professionals across the Asia-Pacific region, the second-most represented region on the list after North America.

Thomas Bierbaum, senior customer success manager for APAC at Autodesk, shared that the year has been a boon for the industry’s talent, and the company is proud to celebrate the achievements of Australia and New Zealand’s forward-thinking Champions of Construction.

“The exceptional work of Ed, Paniz, Nigel and Camilo embodies the inspired creativity and important leadership shown by our entire range of Autodesk customers across both countries,” said Bierbaum.

With original thinking, technical expertise and an impressive list of professional achievements, this year’s champions demonstrate their grasp of a range of important construction disciplines and processes, with a strong focus on digital transformation.

“This year’s Champions of Construction in Australia and New Zealand underscore the enormous value of digitisation across the construction process,” said Bierbaum. “The benefits our customers, their clients and the public can unlock from this important digital transformation work are significant, and our champions are showing us how it’s done.”

Ed Whiting, operational supervisor at Badge Constructions in Adelaide

Whiting provides leadership in promoting building information modelling (BIM) processes and digitisation at Badge Constructions. He doesn’t just advance the technological aspects of BIM, but also emphasises the importance of collaboration among project teams. Whiting researched digital platforms, developed a detailed business case for Badge Constructions’ transition to Autodesk, and integrated both traditional and modern approaches to construction for digitisation.

He has been instrumental in driving the success of Badge Constructions’ projects across the country thanks to his in-depth knowledge of Autodesk, effective navigation of the digital platform, and meticulous investigation and implementation of streamlined processes.

Paniz Savad, digital delivery systems advisor at Beca in Auckland

Savad is part of the Digital Transformation team at Beca, supporting other team members using computer-aided design (CAD) and design engineering platforms to enhance project management and efficiency. In her role, she works closely with people to understand their business challenges and proactively implements solutions. Despite having no experience in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry or with Autodesk, she has grown to be a specialist and the go-to person for Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Savad’s willingness to learn is notable; she demonstrates high levels of empathy, tenacity and a drive to revolutionise traditional workflows at Beca. She drives a culture of continuous improvement, challenges conventional thinking, embraces new technologies, and thrives on upskilling and enabling her colleagues.

Nigel Skidmore, national digital engineering and drafting manager at D&E Air Conditioning in Melbourne

Skidmore is a strong proponent of implementing digital transformation across the entire construction process. He understands the need for a seamless transition between stages and has played a crucial role in driving Autodesk Construction Cloud adoption at D&E Air Conditioning, frequently sharing technological successes with the company’s customers and prospects.

Skidmore is an advocate for digitising the entire design-to-construction process, including finance and accounting. He believes in the importance of a seamless transition from one phase of the project to the next at D&E Air Conditioning.

Camilo Valdes, BIM manager at HEB Construction in Auckland

Valdes leads a specialised team in developing and implementing practical collaboration approaches to add value to design, construction and asset management. He enables HEB Construction to deliver great project outcomes with creative solutions for construction efficiency and asset quality. A skilled practitioner, he leads teams to effectively harness Autodesk functionality and is part of the Autodesk Infrastructure Customer Advisory Board.

Valdes is a passionate digital visionary who supports industry advancement through the development and delivery of digital training to HEB Construction’s staff, joint venture partners and clients. He openly shares digital lessons and participates in digital advisory boards for significant public sector clients.

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Construcciones Yamaro, by Armando Iachini