People

James leads on Okana’s partner network and business development, having helped develop the Okana brand to what it is today. With extensive experience in marketing and business development, he is excited about Okana’s role in driving innovation and change in the built environment. Outside of work, James enjoys sport, regularly watching and playing a variety of golf, rugby and football.

Fiona specialises in crafting learning collateral for the training and development expertise, drawing upon her background in architecture. She is actively exploring the world of digital strategy. Driven by a passion for art and learning, she thrives on pushing boundaries to innovate. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, pottery and flower pressing.

Alec brings a wealth of knowledge to his role and provides strategic guidance to help drive business growth and innovation. With vast experience in delivering exceptional projects, Alec excels at adjusting strategies and turning challenges into opportunities. In his spare time, he is a passionate art toy collector, curating over 1000 pieces since 1998.

Ruth specialises in sustainable design and construction with a focus on life cycle energy and carbon quantification. Ruth leads projects involving whole life environmental impact assessments, including holistic environmental foot printing of Scotland’s waste streams. She has influenced updates to key European Standards for sustainability in construction and presents on the importance of considering embodied impacts in construction.

Helen began her career at McKinsey, following which she built, grew and led organisations at scale across the globe before co founding Growth Incorporated. Her career spans charity, government and enterprise, which she utilises to help develop effective strategies for cross sector engagement, collaboration and innovation.

Naresh has led digital transformation to improve project coordination, streamline workflows, and drive data informed decision making across complex infrastructure projects worldwide. Naresh is committed to enhancing the value of digital adoption in the construction industry, with a strong focus on advanced technologies like augmented reality, data analytics, 3D, 4D Building Information Modelling (BIM) and quantification. Outside of work, Naresh enjoys photography, particularly architectural photography.

With over eight years with of experience in health and safety, Joel specialises in safety consulting to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Joel is passionate about project delivery, client engagement and creating a positive culture. Outside of work he enjoys playing music, travelling, gym training, football and is currently learning Italian.

Amy supports in Okana’s marketing and communications strategy and outputs. With experience in built environment marketing, she is passionate about shaping innovative and engaging stories across the industry. Amy is qualified with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Outside of work, Amy enjoys all things fitness and travel. 

Miles boasts extensive experience in technical architecture, construction, and Building Information Management (BIM) for executing large scale projects. He excels at guiding clients, multidisciplinary design teams, and contractors within the construction industry. Miles has expertise in spearheading BIM strategies, BIM modelling, data coordination, auditing, establishing standards, and monitoring quality. Miles is an enthusiastic downhill mountain biker who regularly explores local trails. 

Jon has worked, researched, and taught in the field of building physics and architectural technology since 2005. In 2023, he merged the sustainable design and building performance evaluation company, Building Research Solutions, with Okana. Jon uses computational modelling and in situ data capture to create design support tools and strategies for stakeholders, driving the built environment towards net zero.

Amandeep has a background in interior design and recently completed a Master’s degree in Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Integrated Construction. She is extremely focused on her professional development and specialises in BIM technologies and software. Outside of work, Amandeep enjoys spending time outdoors, yoga and hunting down new places to eat out.

Charlotte leads business operations within Okana, with expertise in people management and complex operations, following over a decade in the event industry and venue management. Charlotte is motivated by empowering others and passionate about contributing to a positive working environment. Charlotte loves cooking and live music, hoping to front a funk and soul band in the future.