As part of the Women in BIM Voices interview series, Women in BIM speaks with Clarissa Leong, Enterprise Sales Executive for APAC at Revizto, whose career spans more than twenty years helping organisations embrace digital transformation and deliver lasting business value.
In this interview, Clarissa shares her perspective on the future of BIM, digital collaboration and the growing influence of AI across the built environment.
She also reflects on her own leadership journey, overcoming challenges as a woman in the industry and why authentic leadership, strategic sponsorship and open collaboration will shape the next generation of digital construction.
It is an honest and insightful conversation that offers valuable perspectives for anyone passionate about technology, innovation and the future of the AECO industry.
Can you tell us about your career journey and what led you to your leadership role at Revizto?
My career has been defined by one constant, helping Enterprise organisations simplify complex digital transformations and unlock lasting business value.
My journey began across global technology companies like HP, Dell, Microsoft, Cisco and Red Hat, where I spent over a decade navigating complex Enterprise XaaS Sales, Cloud ecosystems and multi million dollar digital transformations.
My pivot into the AECO industry allowed me to apply that background directly to the built environment, helping clients modernise fragmented data workflows into cohesive, multi year SaaS strategies.
Now as one of the Account Leads in Revizto’s APAC Sales division, I channel two decades of strategic partnership development, C Suite relationships and commercial sales execution to accelerate our regional growth by empowering construction teams to streamline BIM collaboration, mitigate project risk and maximise ROI.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced as a woman in the digital construction environment and what advice would you give to others looking to follow a similar path?
Navigating an unspoken “Boys’ Club” culture and overcoming my internal battle of Imposter Syndrome has been the biggest challenge for me. Breaking through legacy networks where trust and business were historically forged in insular circles, is often a tougher hurdle than navigating multi million dollar enterprise sales cycles.
As frequently the only woman in the room, my credibility is often subtly questioned before I even spoke, making it easy for self doubt to creep in. But rather than shrinking or conforming to fit the norm, I learned to overcome that emotional friction and channel my insecurities into unshakeable conviction, using my seat at the table to challenge traditional paradigms and drive real innovation.
To women entering this space, build your unique brand of competence depth early. Let your domain expertise speak volumes as it is your strongest advantage against both internal Imposter Syndrome and external scepticism.
Another important thing is to cultivate strategic sponsors and allies, not just mentors, who will actively champion your capability in the closed-door discussions where legacy inner circles still exert significant influence.
Above all, remember that the world of digital construction does not need leaders who echo traditional ways of doing business; it needs forward thinking personnel who bring fresh, authentic perspectives to reshape the built environment.
From your perspective, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges shaping the future of BIM and digital collaboration?
The real evolution in BIM goes far beyond 3D visualisation, it is the shift from static models into connected, living digital ecosystems. We are shifting from reactive clash detection to predictive risk management, using continuous data flows across the building lifecycle to compress timelines, reduce field rework and optimise long-term asset operations.
AI is accelerating this shift, organisations that once treated project data as a byproduct are now investing in it as an asset, using AI to unlock predictive insights and operational efficiencies that were impossible a few years ago.
One of the biggest hurdles is vendor lock in within closed, proprietary ecosystems. There is a clear market imperative to adopt Open BIM standards and interoperable technologies because it would allow teams to do more with less and help offset rising construction costs. However, many organisations remain trapped in technical silos built around a single vendor’s stack. Genuine digital transformation means breaking down these walled gardens so stakeholders can collaborate seamlessly across best-in-class platforms, rather than being locked into one ecosystem’s roadmap.
Another big challenge is People and Process. Even where open, interoperable tools exist, adoption often stalls on inconsistent standards implementation, a shortage of digitally skilled talent to actually use the data being generated and cultural resistance from teams used to 2D, document based ways of working. The technology is often ahead of the organisational readiness to use it.
How is Revizto helping project teams improve collaboration and drive better project outcomes?
What Revizto does best is bridge the gap between complex design data and the teams actually executing on site. Historically, rich BIM models were locked inside specialised software that only a handful of technical specialists knew how to navigate. This challenge is especially pronounced in Joint Venture environments, where multiple partners rely on different design tools and software applications.
Revizto pulls 2D drawings, 3D models and point cloud overlays into a single, real time environment regardless of the authoring tools used to create them. It creates a platform that anyone can use, whether it is a site superintendent checking details on an iPad or a Project Director reviewing overall risk on a mobile phone.
Instead of teams working off disconnected spreadsheets or static PDF clash reports, Revizto turns design queries and coordination conflicts into live, trackable workflows. Every stakeholder operates from the exact same single source of truth, meaning issues are caught and resolved virtually in the office long before crews start building on site.
From a commercial perspective, that is where the true impact lies. By eliminating field rework, cutting down RFIs and speeding up decision-making across the entire project lifecycle, we help clients de risk multi million dollar builds. It turns digital collaboration from a nice to have software tool into a direct driver of project ROI and margin protection.
Why do you believe initiatives like Women in BIM are important and what more can our industry do to attract, support and retain women in digital engineering and construction?
Initiatives like Women in BIM are vital because they give women real visibility, representation and a strong voice in what has traditionally been an industry with a higher percentage of male employees. It goes way beyond building networks as Women in BIM showcases female leaders who are driving digital transformation to the forefront of the industry, highlighting that women are actively contributing to the future of AECO.
To attract more women, we must first change how people view our industry. Construction is not just about hard hats and job sites anymore, it is a fast moving tech space powered by cloud platforms, AI, and data analytics.
As we highlight just how modern and high tech this industry really is, we will naturally draw top female talent from STEM and software backgrounds who might not have considered construction before.
When it comes to supporting women, we have to move past standard mentorship and focus on strategic sponsorship. Mentors give great advice, but sponsors open doors. We need leaders who will actively champion female talent in closed-door conversations where big accounts, promotions and career-defining projects are actually decided.
Companies need to build a culture where employees are judged strictly on their results, innovation and business impact. When success is measured by the value you bring to the table, it creates a fair playing field where women can thrive as their authentic selves.
If you could leave the Women in BIM community with one piece of career or leadership advice, what would it be?Always be your authentic self and know your worth. Never feel pressured to blend in just to feel accepted, because your fresh perspectives, genuine voice and unique experiences you bring to the table are your greatest strengths.
Be vocal and assertive when removing barriers to success, but always lead with kindness. Delivering high impact results with empathy is the quickest way to silence doubt and dismantle bias.
