Most people spend their first few weeks at a new company figuring out where the coffee is.

Colin Piper met with hundreds of commercial contractors at our third annual Forge user conference—hearing firsthand what’s top of mind for the people who keep the trades moving.

As the first Chief Marketing Officer in BuildOps history, Colin brings deep experience across the construction and operations tech landscape. Before joining BuildOps, he led global marketing for Autodesk’s AECO business, helping expand its construction software portfolio and driving 4x revenue growth within a highly-competitive vertical for the company.

He’s worked with builders around the world—from global firms to local contractors—and knows what it takes to bring new ideas to a traditional industry without losing sight of what matters most: the people doing the work.

We sat down with Colin after his first week to get his take on Forge, the future of the trades, and why he joined BuildOps now.

First week. First Forge. What stood out?

“The sense of purpose, and authenticity. The conversations I had—between sessions, over coffee, late at night—were focused on real stuff.

How do we lead better? How do we train the next generation? How do we make smarter decisions, faster?

That mindset was everywhere. You don’t see that in every industry.”

What are contractors most curious about right now?

“Two things kept coming up: the labor gap and the role of AI.

Everyone’s thinking long-term—how to grow the next generation of tradespeople, how to keep experienced techs on the job longer, how to scale without burning out the back office.

There’s also genuine interest in where AI fits—not as a silver bullet, but as a tool to help teams move faster with fewer mistakes. Contractors are already living in the gray areas—juggling field, ops, schedules, cash flow. If technology can reduce the noise, it’s worth talking about.”

So… why BuildOps? Why now?

“Because this space deserves better—and BuildOps is already proving what’s possible.

I’ve worked with contractors at every stage of tech adoption. Most don’t want another dashboard or flashy demo. They want one system that reflects how they actually run the business: dispatch, field, quoting, service, billing, project management—connected, not cobbled together. There is a strong desire from technology leaders and business owners for IT consolidation. Folks are tired of the disconnected point products that lead to inefficiency (at best) or, even worse, mistakes in the field.

That’s what BuildOps solves. It’s a platform. It’s not a theory or vision. It’s live, it’s working, and it’s helping teams run faster, smarter, and with more control. I’m here to help take that even further.”

You’ve worked with a lot of different players in construction. What makes this moment different?

“The stakes are higher—and the industry’s ready for it.

For years, a lot of companies just did the best they could with disconnected tools. But now there’s a shift happening. Contractors want platforms that fit how they work, not the other way around. They want visibility, speed, and control.

That’s what BuildOps is building. And it’s why I’m here.”

We’re excited to welcome Colin Piper—our first-ever Chief Marketing Officer—to the BuildOps team.

He brings over 15 years of experience in construction and operations software—a rare mix of deep industry knowledge and modern go-to-market leadership.

Colin joined BuildOps to help power what’s next in the trades. And after just one week, he’s already immersed, engaged, and driving forward.