Celebrating Excellence in BIM Leadership

Baker Baynes proudly announces Prinell Naicker as the winner of the 2024 Extraordinary Women in BIM competition. This prestigious award highlights Prinell’s remarkable contributions to Building Information Modelling (BIM), her leadership at Bosch Projects, and her dedication to advancing digital transformation in South Africa.

Prinell’s expertise spans the Autodesk Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) Collection, which includes industry-leading tools like Autodesk Revit, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and Docs. Her innovative use of these technologies has revolutionised workflows, improved project delivery, and inspired teams to embrace digital transformation.

A Groundbreaking Achievement

Prinell’s work in BIM showcases a seamless blend of leadership and technical skills in a field often dominated by men. Her efforts include developing Revit templates and standards, facilitating cloud-based collaboration, and implementing clash detection for large-scale projects – all while leveraging the full power of the AEC Collection.

As part of her prize, Prinell will attend Autodesk University 2024 in San Diego, USA. This global event, valued at R100,000, offers a platform to explore cutting-edge tools and learn from world leaders in BIM.

Prize Details

As the winner of this year’s competition, Prinell will receive a trip to Autodesk University 2024 in San Diego, USA, valued at R100,000. This esteemed user conference is a significant platform where industry professionals converge from around the world to share knowledge, learn about the latest technological advancements, and network with global leaders in BIM. For Prinell, this will be her first time outside of South Africa—a milestone that underscores the importance of her achievement.

Industry Leaders Applaud Prinell

The judging panel for the 2024 Extraordinary Women in BIM competition comprised esteemed industry leaders with extensive experience in Building Information Modelling and digital transformation. The panel included Elna van der Merwe, Engineering Digital Manager at DRA Global; Anien Nauta, Senior BIM Model Coordination Manager at AECOM; Jani Viljoen, Professional Services Director at Baker Baynes; and Nikki van der Walt, Technical Solutions Executive at Autodesk. Together, they brought a wealth of expertise and insight to the selection process, ensuring the winner exemplified excellence in leadership, innovation, and BIM adoption.

Elna van der Merwe commended Prinell’s exceptional ability to train and support others on their BIM journey, highlighting her deep understanding of BIM processes and effective use of technology. She praised Prinell’s ability to manage large file sets under tight deadlines while leveraging diverse tools to create “a full BIM picture.”

Anien Nauta described Prinell as a remarkable professional whose leadership and mentoring have empowered teams to adopt BIM technologies. She credited Prinell with refining processes and improving project delivery, showcasing her technical expertise and problem-solving abilities.

Jani Viljoen emphasised Prinell’s advocacy for BIM education, her development of Revit templates and standards, and her skill in tackling challenges like multi-regional cloud collaboration and clash detection.

Nikki van der Walt noted Prinell’s outstanding leadership, praising her team-building efforts and her seamless integration of authoring tools, digital twins, and quality assurance technologies. Nikki described her as a standout leader whose innovation and technical proficiency make her a deserving award winner.

Prinell’s Inspiring Journey

Reflecting on her journey, Prinell shared:

“Winning this award is a defining moment. It reaffirms that with passion and dedication, anything is achievable.”

From her early career at WSP to leading the structural division at Bosch Projects, Prinell has consistently driven innovation. Her leadership has inspired her team to adopt BIM technologies like Civil 3D for infrastructure projects and Docs for streamlined collaboration.

Advice to Future BIM Leaders

Prinell encourages aspiring BIM professionals to embrace challenges and continue learning.

“The possibilities in BIM are endless. With the right mindset, you can achieve greatness.”

Looking Ahead

Prinell’s win is a victory not just for herself but for women across the BIM industry. As she prepares for Autodesk University, she aims to bring back insights to further advance innovation within her organisation and South Africa’s AECO sector.

This achievement underscores the value of Autodesk’s AEC Collection in driving digital transformation and empowering professionals like Prinell to lead with impact.