Speakers

Magda Kopczyńska is the Director- General for Mobility and Transport within the European Commission. After joining the European Commission in 2006 to work in the Directorate-General for Internal Market and Services, in Ms Kopczyńska was appointed Head of Unit for Clean Transport and Sustainable Urban Mobility in the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) in May 2009. In July 2011 she became Head of Unit, dealing with Maritime Transport policy and Logistics, until taking up the post of Director for Sustainable and Innovative Mobility in May 2014 until October 2016. After, until December 2022, she was Director for Waterborne transport until her nomination to the post of Deputy Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development. She occupied this post from January until July 2023.

Jack Chambers has been serving as Minister of State for Transport, with special responsibility for International and Road Transport and Logistics, since 2022. He is also Minister of State for Environment, Climate and Communications. From 2020 – 2022, he was Minister of State for Defence, for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, and for Finance. In that period, Mr. Chambers also served as Government Chief Whip. He is a member of the political party Fianna Fáil.

Mr. Chambers Began his political career in 2014 and holds a degree in Law and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin. He is also a medical doctor with a degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Georges Gilkinet has been serving as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of Belgium since 2020. He is in charge of the National Railway Company and works on a greener Belgium as well as the mobility card.

From 2007 – 2020, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Constituency of Namur, and from 2012 – 2020, he was also President of the Municipal Council of Assesse. In the period from 2004 – 2007, Mr. Gilkinet worked as political advisor to Ecolo in the Chamber of Deputies, and before that he was Minister of Youth for the French Speaking Community. He is a member of the political party Ecolo.

Mr. Gilkinet holds a degree in Social Communication from IHECS, the Institute of Higher Studies in Social Communication – Brussels School of Journalism.

Shailen Bhatt has been Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) since January 2023. He is the first person of Indian descent to lead FHWA.

In this role he oversees over 2,700 FHWA employees in all 50 States, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, and provides executive leadership on strategic initiatives and policy, including administering more than $350 billion as part of President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its formula and competitive grant programs that are available to State departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, Tribes, territories, federal land management agencies, and other organizations. As Administrator, Bhatt brings a record of successful project and program delivery needed in this once-in-a-generation level of infrastructure investment in which the impacts of FHWA policy and funding choices will last for generations, and will make people safer, reduce the emissions in our air while implementing resilient transportation systems for our changing climate, create a fairer transportation system, and strengthen our economy.

Bhatt brings to this role a passion for improving safety and protecting all road users on America's roads, bridges, highways, and other surface transportation infrastructure, including people using them for walking and biking. He is also committed to transforming our nation's infrastructure systems to address transportation's impacts on our global climate, while making them more equitable and fair for all.

His distinguished career includes serving in leadership positions in the public and private sectors, including the Kentucky, Delaware, and Colorado Departments of Transportation, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, AECOM, and as FHWA's Associate Administrator for Highway Policy and External Affairs in the Obama Administration.

Bhatt graduated summa cum laude from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Economics.

George Yannis is Professor in Traffic and Safety Engineering with particular focus on data science and Director of the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering of the School of Civil Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).  For more than 30 years, he has contributed extensively in more than 315 research and engineering projects and studies and in several scientific committees of the European Commission and other International Organisations (UNECE, OECD, WHO, World Bank, EIB, CEDR, ERF, IRF, PIARC, UITP, ETSC, ECTRI, WCTR, TRB). He has published more than 870 scientific papers (246 in scientific journals) which are widely cited worldwide.

Ms. Sofia Gjerstad works on road safety at The Swedish Transport Administration. She was one of the main authors of the proposal for “Management by Vision Zero” which was presented in 2008. The proposal has since then been leading for the Swedish road safety work. Sofia has more than 20 years of road safety experience on a strategic level mainly working at the Swedish Transport Administration (and formerly the Swedish Road Administration) but also 5 years at the City of Uppsala as Head of Unit for traffic and road safety.

Since 2010, Alvaro Gomez has been working at the Directorate General for Traffic in Spain as research engineer at the National Observatory, as Head of Division at the Sub-Directorate-General for Statistical Analysis and Monitoring, as Deputy Director-General for Research and Analysis, and as Director of the National Road Safety Observatory. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of road safety, including as researcher at the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid, and as Technical Secretary of the Ibero-American Road Safety Programme /OISEVI.

Mr. Gomez holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid, and a master's in leadership and public management by the National Public Administration Institute.

Mr. Passmore is an Australian public health road safety and injury prevention specialist with the World Health Organization (WHO).  Over the last 20 years, he has supported intersectoral road safety counterparts in a range of country and regional postings including China (2004-2006), Viet Nam (2008-2013), the Philippines (2013-2018) as well as the Western Pacific (2013-2018) and European Regional Offices (2018-2024). 

Prior to joining WHO, Mr. Passmore worked for the Government of the Australian State of Victoria in the Department of Human Services and the Transport Accident Commission. He is an Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Road Safety and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Dr. Maria Tsavachidis is CEO of EIT Urban Mobility, a European knowledge and innovation community to accelerate the transition towards sustainable urban mobility and livable urban spaces. Before joining the European Institute for Innovation and Technology in 2018, she was responsible for Innovation at Siemens for more than 20 years in different positions.

She started her career as a researcher in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems and holds a PhD in traffic engineering from the Technical University of Munich.

Laurianne Krid is the Director General for FIA Region, representing mobility Clubs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East since 2017. She is based at the Region I headquarter in Brussels, Belgium.

The FIA Region I advocates for user-centric safe, affordable and clean mobility as a key component for growth. Together with the Region I team, Laurianne supports the exchange of best practices between mobility Clubs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which total 40 million members. Mobility Clubs play a key role in representing user needs in decision making around mobility. 

Laurianne holds a Masters’ degree in political sciences specialised in EU policies and a second Master in interregional cooperation. She speaks French, English, German and some Spanish.

Michiel Christoph, senior researcher and project manager at SWOV, has extensive experience with collecting and analysing Naturalistic Driving data and human factors in vehicle automation. He was involved in various European Naturalistic Driving projects. In the FP7 project UDRIVE he coordinated the development of data acquisition technology and data management chain. Most recently, Michiel was the technical coordinator of the H2020 project MEDIATOR, that focuses on optimal coordination between human drivers and (partly) autonomous vehicle systems. In addition, Michiel is presently the project leader for the line of research that focuses on the effects of ADAS on driving performance and collision risk.

As head of the road safety department, Geertje Hegeman manages 35 enthusiastic, driven colleagues in a politically dynamic environment. The department creates policy with the aim to improve road safety in the Netherlands, with as final visionary goal zero traffic casualties in 2050. Together with three other department heads of unit and our director Marion Smit, the department is responsible for forming the Roads & Traffic Safety Directorate Management Team of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Maurizio Tira is a Full Professor of Urban planning and risk mitigation at the University of Brescia, a member of the Academy of Sciences of Bologna Institute and a board member of the European University Association. He was President of the Italian Urban Planner’s Society and acted as Rector of the University of Brescia from November 2016 until October 2022. In that role, he was the delegate for international affairs within the Board of the Italian Rector’s Conference.

Mr. Tira was a member of the Technical Structure of the Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure from 2017 to 2018, and he is currently a member of the Transport Research Committee of OECD-ITF and the DG Move Expert Group on Urban mobility. He is also President of GARR, an ultra-broadband network dedicated to the Italian research and education community. He participated in several EU funded projects mainly in the field of urban and mobility planning, focusing on urban safety management, and published extensively. In December 2020, the President of the Italian Republic made him Commander of the Italian Republic.

Valentina Orioli is an architect and PhD holder and serves as the Deputy Mayor of Bologna, where she is in charge of New Mobility, Infrastructure, Local Public Transport, 30 km/h City, the Protection of cultural heritage and the historic gardens. During the 2016-21 mandate, she was Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning, Real Estate, Environment, Protection and regeneration of the historical city and candidacy of Bologna’s “Porticoes” for the UNESCO World Heritage List, Climate Pact, and vice-mayor from 2020.

Ms Orioli is also an Associate Professor of Urban Planning in the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna. Her teaching and research centre around the design and governance of urban transformation tools, focusing on the quality of urban space and its regeneration.

She is President of Urban@it, a National centre for urban policy studies based at the University of Bologna, and most recently published a book on the intersection of social innovation and urban planning (“Praticare l'urbanistica. Traiettorie tra innovazione sociale e pianificazione”, Franco Angeli, 2023, with M. Massari).

Evelien Marlier works as a project manager and domain lead at imec, a research institute based in Belgium. She has more than 10 years of experience in the field of (urban) mobility. Together with her colleagues, she looks for innovative solutions that can solve the problems in the transport sector and can make cities more resilient.

Additionally, she investigates how mobility services can be made more accessible and more sustainable and how users’ experience can be improved when moving around in the city. To this end, she works closely with various stakeholders, at local, regional and international level. Besides her job at imec, Evelien is also a dance teacher. Her personal mission, therefore, is to get people moving!

Peter Staelens is Head of Mobility at EUROCITIES, which is a network representing more than 200 major European cities. Since he joined EUROCITIES in 2008, Staelens has engaged in a diverse array of EU projects and policies concerning urban mobility. His work spans digitalization, automation, electrification, sustainable mobility planning, last-mile delivery, and behavioural change initiatives. He has a history of involvement in promoting road safety, including organizing the EU Urban Road Safety Awards and advocating for safer environments for cyclists and pedestrians. Prior to his tenure at EUROCITIES, Staelens dedicated his efforts to the European Passengers’ Federation from 2000 to 2008. During this time, he primarily focused on advocating for passenger rights, monitoring railway market liberalization, and representing the interests of transport users at the European level.

Giovanni Pintor is a young professional working in the field of international partnerships and resource mobilization in the green and safe mobility sector. He works as a strategic partnership's consultant for the United Nations Road Safety Fund, and he is the founder of #AdessoBasta NGO – through which he advocates for safer road infrastructure in Sardinia, Italy.  

In 2022, the EU Commission elected him as the Young Leader for green and safe mobility.

Heli Siirilä works as project manager at the University of Vaasa and as a specialist for The Thematic Network of competences and employment of The Finnish Rural Policy Council. Her expertise spans across rural transport, rural services and rural politics at the national, regional, and local levels. At the moment, she works on the preparation and publishing of a form for impact assessment of traffic on rural areas. The objective is to make it easier for different stakeholders to recognize the possible effects of decisions on everyday rural life.

Ms Siirilä lives in a small rural town in Central Ostrobotnia, Finland.

Veronika Valentová has been working for CDV since 2011. Between 2018 and 2022, she worked as Director of Traffic Engineering, Road Safety and Strategy Division, where she was responsible for dozens of Research projects, including the Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 (in strong collaboration with the Ministry of Transport), the Catalogue of public roads for testing of autonomous vehicles, and the National traffic census 2020. She is an experienced researcher, road safety auditor and road designer. She is a member of the RISM working group at the ETSC.

Currently she is responsible for the methodological leadership of the institution's research, its professional direction, the acquisition of new opportunities and the transfer of research results into practice.

Her vision is to fulfil Vision Zero by the creation of safe and sustainable mobility for all.

Uroš Brumec is a seasoned professional with a passion for enhancing road safety through innovative solutions and collaborative teamwork. His expertise lies in identifying core issues in road safety and implementing sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of all road users.

Mr. Uroš has served on various technical committees and working groups in the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR). He is also a member of the Slovene Association of Transport Sciences (SATS), the Slovenian Chamber of Engineers, and the Association of Traffic Engineers of Slovenia, where he serves as Chairman of the Road Transport Committee.

Outside of his professional endeavours, Uroš enjoys staying active in the transportation engineering community, participating in conferences such as the World Road Congress and the Transport Research Arena.

Mr. Brumec holds a Master's degree in Road Safety from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Maritime and Transport, as well as certificates in Human Factors Evaluation, Safer Road Infrastructure, and Road Safety Audit.

Véronique Feypell is a civil engineer, having graduated in 1993 from the Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Public (ESTP), in Paris (France). She began her career at the OECD in 1994, with the Road Transport Research Programme.  Since then, she has held different positions within the OECD’s transport sector.

Now Manager for road safety at the International Transport Forum, Ms Feypell is responsible for research projects in the field of road safety and transport infrastructure. She is leading the working groups of the International Transport Forum on the implementation of the Safe System approach. Véronique is also the project manager of IRTAD, the International Group on Traffic Safety Data and their Analysis. She oversees the wide variety of IRTAD activities, including the IRTAD database and the annual report on road safety performance. 

Méabh White, a student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, was awarded the Road Safety Authority (RSA) ‘Gertie Shields Supreme Award’ in road safety for 2023 along with her mother, Clodagh. In 2016, Clodagh and Méabh suffered serious injuries when they were in a crash with a larger vehicle and their car was propelled at speed into a wall. They have since made tireless efforts to raise awareness and contribute to road safety.

Mark Broughton is Chairman of Johanniter International (JOIN). JOIN is a partnership consisting of the four protestant Orders of St John and their national charities. Our member organisations, based in Europe and the Middle East, work in close cooperation and are supported by more than 100,000 volunteers. They serve humanity with medical services and first aid, social care, international aid, disaster relief and youth work. The services of JOIN member organisations are open to everyone. Core to our values is our Christian heritage which underlines our work.

Katarzyna Dobrzańska-Junco is head of the Road Safety Council of the Lesser Poland and President of the Center of Initiatives for Road Safety Foundation. She serves as board member of the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims (FEVR) and the victim's Association “Przejscie”. Ms Dobrzańska-Junco is also the director for Road Safety in the Malopolska Road Traffic Center based in Cracow, and the FEVR delegate to the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration & European Transport Safety Council.

Additionally, she deals with education management within road safety and the creation of a Trauma Recovery Center project in Malopolska. Ms Dobrzańska-Junco was awarded the Cross of Merit by the President of the Republic of Poland for her contribution to improving road safety in the country and has published several books and articles on road safety prevention and post-crash care.

Ms Dobrzańska-Junco holds a Master's degree in the fields of pedagogy, transport psychology and psycho-traumatology.

Dr. Ruairi Connolly is a Consultant in Trauma Rehabilitation at Cork University Hospital – Major Trauma Centre. Dr Connolly completed fellowship training in trauma rehabilitation at Kings College Hospital London. He is a member of the National Office for Clinical Audit – Major Trauma Audit Division. Dr. Connolly has a specialist interest in rehabilitation following poly-traumatic injuries.

Before joining the Commission in 2001, Claire Depré previously worked in the European Parliament with responsibilities encompassing industry, research and ICT.

After a few years as assistant to the Director-General of Mobility and Transport, Ms Depré was appointed as Head of Unit for Intelligent Transport Systems in 2013. In 2016, the unit expanded to include urban mobility and alternative fuels infrastructure policy.

As of January 2021, Ms Depré has been appointed as Head of Unit of Road Safety. Together with her team she supports making Vision Zero a reality.

Since 2018, Eva Lindström has served as the Swedish Member of the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg, where she has been responsible for audit opinions and reports in the areas of the administration of the European Union, natural resources and cohesion policy, often with a focus on sustainability.

Ms Lindström has more than 25 years’ experience in public finance and audit: as State Secretary at the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, as Auditor-General and as Budget Director at the Ministry of Finance. She has also held roles such as Deputy Chairperson of the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council, board member of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, and the Swedish Transport Administration. Since 2018 she is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and she currently serves on the SNS Board of Directors.

She holds a B.A. in economics from Stockholm University.

Mr Kristian Schmidt is Director, Land Transport at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport since April 2021. He previously held senior management positions at the European Commission, as Director at the Directorate-General for International Development Cooperation (DG DEVCO 2010-2013), as Deputy Head of Cabinet to European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas (2004-2010) and as Deputy Head of Cabinet to EU Commissioner Poul Nielson (1999-2004). His diplomatic career, initiated at the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, includes a posting at the UN New York (1997-1999) serving as EU Ambassador to Uganda (2013-2017) and EU Ambassador to Burma/Myanmar (2017-2020).  Mr Schmidt is an economist (cand.polit, University of Copenhagen, 1992), and an Erasmus scholar with additional academic degrees from France (Licence Sciences Economiques, Université d’Aix-en-Provence, 1989 and studies at Sciences Politiques, IEP, Paris,1992), from Italy (International Relations, Universita di Bologna, 1991) and the United Kingdom (MPhil International Relations with distinction from the University of Cambridge, 1993).