Ambassadors for #DiversityInTransport

He holds a PhD, Master's, and Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, having pursued his academic journey at esteemed institutions such as Eindhoven University of Technology, the University of California–Santa Barbara, Utrecht University, and the University of Tehran. He is a dedicated and forward-thinking urban planner, committed to leveraging emerging technologies to make cities and mobility systems smarter, more efficient, and sustainable. His work focuses on the integration of technologies such as ICT, Digital Twins, IoT, BIM, HD Maps, AI, and Augmented Reality in mobility-related projects. 

He has contributed to initiatives involving Mobility as a Service, Demand Responsive Transport, charging hubs for electric vehicles, Cooperative and Connected Automated Mobility (CCAM), data-driven mobility, hybrid road infrastructures, just mobility, shared public transport, traffic safety, and micro-mobility. Beyond mobility, he is also passionate about multidisciplinary projects addressing environmental sustainability, brownfield redevelopment, land use planning, energy transition, climate change adaptation, and the development of cycling cities.

She is a specialist in gender, urban transport, and climate change, with international experience across Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the MENA regions. Bilingual in French and English, she combines technical expertise in all modes of urban transport with strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills. Her background includes tri-sector leadership and applied research at the intersection of transport, cities, and sustainability. Recent work focuses on inclusive transport planning, women’s mobility, and personal security in Nigeria, Malawi, and Kenya. She is passionate about the green economy, smart cities, and gender equity, and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at UK charity Walk21.

Anna Anund holds a PhD in Medicine and is an Associate Professor, Research Director, and Applied Statistician. Her research focuses on driver sleepiness and traffic safety, as well as child safety, particularly in relation to school transportation and children in cars. She conducts applied research on the design and evaluation of driver support systems, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVIS), as well as infrastructure countermeasures such as milled rumble strips. She has participated in several EU-funded projects, including AWAKE, INSAFETY, and SENSATION. She served as the coordinator of the 7th Framework EU project SAFEWAY2SCHOOL, the Horizon 2020 project ADAS&ME, and the project PANACEA.

Professor Maria Attard is the Head of Geography and Director of the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at University of Malta. She lectures in urban and transport geography and sustainability in Malta and abroad and has published extensively in the area of sustainable mobility, transport policy and planning. Between 2002-2008 Prof. Attard was a consultant to Malta’s Government working on the first white paper on transport (2004), the 2006 Valletta Strategy, introducing park-and-ride, pedestrianisation and road pricing, and the 2011 public transport reform. She has participated in numerous funded projects and supports the work of organisations such as WHO, ITF and EU. Prof. Attard is currently the Chair of NECTAR (Network of European Communications and Transport Activities Research) and sits on the Steering Committee of the World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR). She is co-editor-in-chief of Research in Transportation Business and Management and associate editor of Case Studies on Transport Policy and European Transport Research Review.

Cate currently works for a not-for-profit organisation that promotes gender equality in Swiss business. She has over 20 years of experience in aviation in various roles, ranging from operations, research and development to international affairs, regulatory affairs and compliance. She has been active in diversity and inclusion for over 10 years. Cate holds a master’s degree in social sciences and has since furthered her university studies and is certified in management and leadership, as well as diversity and inclusion. Cate is convinced that to ensure sustainability one must also take into account the human and social aspects and that the right workplace environment, Just Culture and Psychological Safety contribute towards safety in safety critical environments such as transport and aviation.

She is the Executive Manager at EUROCONTROL’s Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC), where she oversees the daily management of systems, airspace, procedures, and occurrence management. A seasoned aviation professional, she brings extensive experience in operations, project and people management, planning, and international relations. She has been a member of EUROCONTROL’s Just Culture Committee since 2019.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Sofia University and a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD, combining financial acumen with deep sectoral knowledge. A strong advocate for data-driven decision-making, diversity, and behavioural science, she founded a Diversity and Inclusion Think-tank at MUAC and serves on the Steering Committee of the INSEAD Women in Business Club. Since 2020, she has also acted as a European Commission Ambassador for Diversity.