Skip to main content

The IRF Family mourns the loss of former executives, Manfred Swarovski and Tony Pearce

The Chairman, the Board and Executive Committee of the International Road Federation in Geneva have been deeply saddened by the loss over the past weeks of two IRF leading figures: Manfred Swarovski and Tony Pearce. "The IRF Family loses an exceptional professional and a very dear friend," said Kiran K Kapila, chairman of IRF (Geneva). Manfred Swarovski has been a leading figure of the International Road Federation (IRF) for decades. He has served in many positions not least as chairman of IRF in Geneva an
July 11, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Tony Pearce
The Chairman, the Board and Executive Committee of the International Road Federation in Geneva have been deeply saddened by the loss over the past weeks of two IRF leading figures: Manfred Swarovski and Tony Pearce.


"The IRF Family loses an exceptional professional and a very dear friend," said Kiran K Kapila, chairman of IRF (Geneva). Manfred Swarovski has been a leading figure of the International Road Federation (IRF) for decades. He has served in many positions not least as chairman of IRF in Geneva and chairman of the Global Executive Committee of IRF. "Manfred's vision has always been to shape a single powerful and integrated organisation. It is the spirit with which we still continue to work in Geneva," added Kapila.

With Tony Pearce, former director general of 1201 IRF Geneva, the IRF loses one of its masterminds and an outstanding personality who has largely defined IRF and its work over the past decades. “Tony has been a primary spokesman and ambassador for the IRF worldwide. Most of it, he has been a friend to many of us in the profession. Tony has taught us tenacity in all its forms. It is that same tenacity that still drives IRF (Geneva) today," said Susanna Zammataro, IRF executive director.

The IRF wishes to express its most sincere condolences to the family of Manfred and of Tony and wishes to thank all those in the profession who have been kindly writing over the past weeks to manifest their appreciation for these two makers of the IRF family and to share with us their most cherished souvenirs.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • JCB North America has new chief after John Patterson CBE retires
    January 7, 2014
    JCB’s John Patterson CBE, who rose through the ranks from field service engineer to Group chief executive, has retired after 43 years’ service. Arjun Mirdha is the new president and CEO of JCB in North America, where Patterson had led operations as chairman and CEO since 2008. After joining JCB in 1971, Patterson went on to work in Canada and America before returning to the UK in 1988 as managing director of JCB Service. In 1993, he was appointed managing director of JCB Sales before becoming Group CEO –
  • IRF and FIA Kenya club to deliver training on first aid response
    April 6, 2017
    As part of the wider partnership with FIA, IRF Geneva will work with the Kenyan organisation on a project that addresses postcrash care. Given the positive results of an initial project delivered in 2016, growing international recognition of the value and impact that Enhanced First Aid (eFD) has in reducing the number of fatalities and severity of injuries, it has been decided to scale up the initiative. IRF Geneva has recently successfully trained more than 12,000 drivers in India and is engaging in a
  • IQ chief executive Phil James to leave role
    May 26, 2016
    Institute of Quarrying (IQ) CEO Phil James is leaving for a new role after four years in charge of the UK-based organisation. He had joined the IQ in late 2012 as joint CEO with MPQC and drew on his rare combination of quarry management experience and professional body expertise in executing his senior role. James will become the new CEO of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) in September 2016. In his new post he plans to continue his link with the minerals industry and to combine the challenge
  • Swarco inaugurates new glass bead factory in lower Austria
    July 11, 2022
    Glass microspheres are a versatile product. They are used as reflectors to create nighttime visibility of road markings and traffic signs to improve road safety. But they also have multiple uses in non-traffic applications, whether as blasting media in surface treatment, as filler beads for the compaction of plastics, in additive manufacturing / 3D printing, and water filtering techniques, to name just a few.