by Rebecca De Cicco, Founder and Global Chair, Women in BIM

The most impactful leadership is collaborative, grounded in trust, driven by shared learning and focuses on enabling people to thrive through change.

Leadership to me has always meant guiding and supporting one another toward greater growth and prosperity. This past year tested those beliefs with self-doubt, redundancy, single parenting and a sense of unwelcomeness that I was not ready for. Yet within this adversity revealed a truth I have felt for a very long time, that challenges can ignite a more purposeful, transformative life and journey.

The last six months have allowed for a recalibration of my thoughts, my desires and my life. I slowed to listen and to reflect on life and my experiences and remember, and acknowledge my diverse set of skills and experiences.

Leadership in digital construction is not just about technology, for me it is about guiding people through change with honesty and practicality. That clarity found a home in my newly appointed role as Business Director for Digital Transformation at BECA.

This remit is not a label for me, it is a vision to support BECA’s passion for digital transformation and to advise at the strategic level on where we can grow our business and opportunities. It is an opportunity for translating ideas into visual roadmaps; to enable governance and standardisation for our clients and to embed digital as the backbone for decision making.

My work aligns with strengths in digital advisory, digital delivery and transformation strategies to support a variety of client needs. This role will help me to give back on my expertise, to support digitally enabled working and to guide our clients in a digital by default mentality.

BECA’s culture is meaningful: it genuinely supports female leaders with flexible pathways, and a strong culture that invites diverse voices into critical conversations. Change born of adversity begins here, with listening teams, resilient leaders and the belief that progress is iterative. Redundancy and motherhood are not erased; they are reframed as practical advantages, empathetic, data informed leadership focused on outcomes.

Resilience is not about denying hardship, it is about reframing it as fuel for better processes and more inclusive cultures. Women in BIM is the industry’s lifeblood and empowering female leaders makes our most complex projects more doable.

Looking to 2026, my role at BECA stands on the cusp of meaningful growth through personal transformation. As you all know I often wear two hats and my role as founder and global chair for Women in BIM does not change. My strategy and passion for women in these roles and supporting them on a global level is one area I do not take lightly and it is not the work of one person. For me our values remain true, to elevate women’s leadership through growth and visibility; to build WIB ecosystems via mentorship and leadership opportunities and to advocate for a diverse industry, fuelled by innovation.

I am very excited about the next chapter and what 2026 will bring not only for me, but to all the wonderful women who work in this industry throughout the world. I believe that turning setbacks into stepping stones for positivity can only lead to a brighter, more inclusive future for everyone, that’s why Women in BIM remains a powerful collaborative network.