Ontario Construction News staff writer
Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), has joined the Board of Advisors (BoA) at AECO Innovation Lab (AECO).
Lyall has represented the residential construction industry in Ontario since 1991. He is an admired leader and strategist with significant board experience and a track record of advocating for research-based change to benefit the construction sector.
A statement from RESCON said: “With more than 35 years of industry experience, Lyall is well positioned to help lead the change that the AECO BoA is championing to prepare the architecture, engineering and construction sectors for the impending digital revolution. He has served as president of RESCON for nearly 20 years, and in this capacity has supported significant research into the benefits of modernization and digitization of the development and building approvals process.”
“I am passionate about initiatives that have the potential to improve people’s lives and the economy,” says Lyall. “For example, reducing the development approval process by just six months could have a tremendous impact: thousands more homes built and jobs created, and billions of dollars contributed to Ontario’s economy. Through the work that AECO is doing, we will be able to bring together the necessary stakeholders to make this a reality.”
The AECO’s BoA brings together industry leaders from the public, private and academic sectors. In addition to construction, board member specialties include architecture, engineering, real estate, business, finance, change strategy and policy. Together, the BoA cultivates relationships with industry, government and financial partners to facilitate the impending digital transformation of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors.
“Throughout his career, Richard has demonstrated tremendous insight and advocated for meaningful change to better the entire AEC value chain,” Arash Shahi, CEO of AECO says. “He was one of the first to recognize the enormous potential of the One Ontario initiative – which aims to streamline the development approval process in Ontario – bringing RESCON on as an early sponsor of the project. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with Richard on many research projects. I’m grateful to have him on the AECO Board of Advisors, where we will continue to champion initiatives in the digital AEC space.”