Tech Veteran Majid Malek Joins SmartPM to Build Construction's AI Future

ATLANTA, GA – February 04, 2026 – SmartPM, an Atlanta-based construction technology firm, has appointed Majid Malek as its new Chief Operating Officer, a strategic move signaling its intent to accelerate growth and solidify its position in the burgeoning construction AI sector. Malek, a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience scaling high-growth technology companies, transitions from an early advisory and investor role into formal leadership.

The appointment comes as the construction industry stands at a critical juncture, grappling with traditional inefficiencies while facing a wave of digital transformation. SmartPM, which provides an AI-driven platform for automated project controls and schedule analytics, is betting on Malek's expertise to navigate its next phase of expansion and drive deeper adoption of its technology.

From Silicon Valley to Hard Hats

Malek’s career is a testament to his ability to operate at the highest levels of the tech world. With graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford and Computer Science from Georgia Tech, he began his career at Hewlett Packard before moving to Qualcomm. There, he was instrumental in leading the team responsible for integrating cellular modems into early generations of Apple's iPhones and iPads, a pivotal role in one of modern technology's greatest success stories.

More recently, Malek served in a key leadership position at Featurespace, a UK-based leader in AI-powered financial crime prevention. During his tenure, he was crucial in scaling the company's operations and maturing its business, a trajectory that culminated in its successful acquisition by financial giant Visa. This experience in taking a specialized AI company through hypergrowth and a major acquisition is precisely what SmartPM aims to leverage.

“Majid is a world-class operator with a proven track record of scaling technology companies through hypergrowth,” said Mike Pink, CEO and Founder of SmartPM. “His experience building global teams and operational systems at Qualcomm and Featurespace will be instrumental as we scale SmartPM to serve the broader construction market during this time of unprecedented innovation and advancement.” Malek's move into the construction tech space exemplifies a growing trend of top-tier tech talent migrating to legacy industries ripe for disruption.

A Strategic Play in a Booming Market

The market SmartPM and Malek are targeting is not just growing; it's exploding. The global AI in construction market is projected to skyrocket from approximately $3.93 billion in 2024 to an estimated $22.68 billion by 2032. This rapid expansion is fueled by the industry's urgent need to solve persistent problems like cost overruns, schedule delays, and skilled labor shortages.

SmartPM's platform is designed to tackle these issues head-on. It uses artificial intelligence to automate the analysis of complex construction schedules, providing predictive insights that help contractors, owners, and consultants mitigate risks and protect profit margins. This is a significant departure from the manual, often error-prone methods that have dominated the industry for decades.

“Construction is one of the largest industries in the world, and it’s at a critical inflection point for adopting new technologies and better ways of working,” Malek stated. “Driving efficiency at that scale can create enormous value for businesses and their customers. SmartPM is a category-defining platform that’s reshaping how the industry operates. I’m excited to help scale SmartPM’s impact across the industry.”

As COO, Malek's mandate is to bring operational best practices to the company, unifying its functions to accelerate innovation and customer value. His immediate priorities include a dual-pronged market strategy: deepening relationships with the industry's largest players—the ENR400—while simultaneously driving expansion with a vast network of regional general contractors and owners.

Bridging Construction's Digital Divide

Despite the clear potential, the construction sector has historically been one of the least digitized. Introducing advanced AI solutions comes with a unique set of challenges, including deeply ingrained legacy practices, a lack of data standardization, and apprehension about sharing proprietary information. Successfully navigating this landscape requires more than just superior technology; it requires strategic operational leadership.

Malek’s role will be pivotal in overcoming these hurdles. His focus on strengthening cross-functional collaboration is aimed at ensuring SmartPM functions as a unified system, capable of addressing the complex needs of a diverse client base. By targeting the ENR400—the 400 largest contractors in the U.S.—the company is aiming to secure high-value, influential clients that can serve as industry-wide validation. Simultaneously, its focus on regional contractors acknowledges the need for scalable, accessible solutions for the small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of the construction market.

This strategy is critical for a company that describes itself as “category-defining.” By building a robust operational framework, Malek is tasked with ensuring SmartPM can deliver on its promise of transforming project controls from a reactive, forensic exercise into a proactive, predictive discipline, ultimately helping build a more efficient and resilient construction industry.