**Srinath Perera**

Professor Srinath Perera is chair professor of built environment and construction management and the founding Director of Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) at Western Sydney University. He joined WSU in June 2016 after serving as professor of construction economics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, in the UK. He is a Board member and the chair of the future leaders committee of the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB, www.cibworld.org).

He is a fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales (FRSN) and also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Building (AIB). He is a chartered surveyor and a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) and Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM). He has over 30 years' experience in academia and industry and has worked as a consultant quantity surveyor and project manager in the construction industry.

Professor Perera is a pioneer in the field of construction informatics integrating AI technologies to construction and project management. He co-authored a research monograph, "Advances in Construction ICT and e-Business" (2017) and two internationally recognized textbooks, namely *Cost Studies of Buildings* (2015) and *Contractual Procedures in the Construction Industry* (2017) published by Routledge. He is also the author of "Managing Information Technology Projects: Building a Body of Knowledge in IT Project Management" He has authored over 250 peer reviewed publications and his current research leads work in the areas of blockchain and IoT applications in construction, BIM, Digital Twin, offsite construction, construction business models and construction performance leading to Industry 4.0.

He recently published the *Digitalisation of Construction* report, indicating the status and future directions of digitalization of the NSW construction industry.

#### **Albert P. C. Chan**

Professor Albert P. C. Chan is currently PolyU's Dean of Students, associate director of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, and chair professor of Construction Engineering and Management. He earned his MSc degree in construction management and economics from the University of Aston in Birmingham, and a PhD degree in project management from the University of South Australia. Before joining the Department of Building and Real Estate of PolyU in 1996, Professor Chan taught at the University of South Australia as a senior lecturer and deputy head of the School of Building and Planning. He was appointed by PolyU as associate head (teaching) of the Department of Building and Real Estate from 2005 to 2011, associate dean from 2011 to 2013, interim dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment from 2013 to 2014, and head of the Department of Building and Real Estate from 2015 to 2021. He has been an Adjunct Professor in a number of Mainland and overseas universities.

A chartered construction manager, engineer, project manager and surveyor by profession, Professor Chan is devoted to a myriad of research subjects as varied as project management and project success, construction procurement and relational contracting, public–private partnerships, and construction health and safety, as manifested by his prolific research output of over 1,000 refereed journal papers, international refereed conference papers, consultancy reports, and other articles. Besides being an expert member of the Engineering Panel of the Research Grants Council, HKSAR, since 2015, Professor Chan has also served as an expert member in the Built Environment Panel of FORMAS, Swedish Research Grants Council, and the Faculty of Architectural and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Professor Chan was ranked among the top 2% of Scientists in the World for three years in a row starting in 2020.

### **Dilanthi Amaratunga**

Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga holds the chair in Disaster Risk Management at the University of Huddersfield, UK, where she leads the Global Disaster Resilience Centre. She is a leading international expert in disaster resilience, with an extensive academic career that has a strong commitment to encouraging colleagues and students to fulfil their full potential. Her research interests include disaster risk reduction in the built environment; understanding disaster risk, preparedness for response; early warning systems; disaster resilience from the perspective of the social/political, economic, and physical sciences; and compound hazards and systemic risks. She has managed the successful completion of a large number of international research projects (over GBP 20 million), generating significant research outputs and outcomes, with the engagement of many significant research collaborations around the world in partnership with key academic and other stakeholders. To date, she has produced over 500 publications, refereed papers, and reports, and has made over 100 keynote speeches in around 40 countries.

Her outstanding contributions, publications, and services to her field of expertise have been recognised with numerous international awards. Between 2016 and 2019, she was winner of the prestigious 2019 Newton Prize, which recognises the best research and innovation projects which create an impact socially and economically, between Indonesia and the United Kingdom. In 2018, she received the "His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Award" from the President of Sri Lanka, for here contribution to Disaster Resilience in Sri Lanka. In 2018, she won the UALL International Award, which recognises innovative engagement that creates change in an international and transnational context. She is a fellow of the RICS; fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, UK; fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK; and fellow/chartered manager of the Chartered Management Institute, UK.
