Skip to main content

José Viegas starts work as ITF secretary-general

Internationally renowned academic José Viegas of Portugal has begun work as the new chief executive of International Transport Forum (ITF), the global transport policy body. The ITF is an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries that acts as a strategic think tank for global transport policy and organises an annual summit of transport ministers.
August 20, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Internationally renowned academic José Viegas of Portugal has begun work as the new chief executive of 1102 International Transport Forum (ITF), the global transport policy body.

The ITF is an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries that acts as a strategic think tank for global transport policy and organises an annual summit of transport ministers. The Forum is housed by the 3685 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

Viegas, who was elected by ministers of Forum member countries at their summit in May 2012, joins the ITF from a globally recognised career as an academic and consultant. Previously a professor of civil engineering at the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and chairman of 6408 TIS.pt, a transport consultancy firm, Viegas has worked in all transport modes and managed collaborative networks across countries and economic sectors to advance better solutions in transport.

After starting his new role, Viegas said: “There are new and significant challenges for all transport modes across the world.

“The knowledge production at the Forum and the policy discussions among Ministers are very much relevant to address these challenges.

“The International Transport Forum faces great opportunities for a strategic reorientation, based on its existing strengths and its expanding membership, to further strengthen its role as the foremost platform for a global dialogue on transport policy.

“I will work hard to provide engaging and successful leadership in these processes."

Related Content

  • ITF Summit 2016 Awards to recognise outstanding achievements
    March 7, 2016
    Transport operators, manufacturers and researchers will be honoured at the International Transport Forum Awards in the presence of transport ministers from around the world at the ITF’s Annual Summit on 18-20 May in Leipzig, Germany. The ITF will award prizes in three categories: Transport Achievement Award: Recognises a demonstrated achievement of excellence in transport provision.
  • LIVE, from Leipzig, Germany: the ITF 2015 Annual Summit
    May 26, 2015
    If you couldn’t make it to Germany this year for the International Transport Forum’s Annual Summit, you can watch the live webcasts on the ITF website starting today. From this morning, Wednesday, at 11:00 Central European Time, the live webcast of the event will be available directly at this link: http://2015.internationaltransportforum.org/
  • Global road freight on the rise, ITF reports
    February 20, 2015
    Road freight’s share in global trade will increase from 6% to 10% by 2050, driven by increasing intra-regional trade, according to the latest report by the International Transport Forum. This growth is especially likely in Asia and Africa where efficient rail networks are and could remain underdeveloped, noted the report ITF Transport Outlook 2015. Hit hard by the global crisis in 2009, road freight volume grew 3% annually from 2010-12 in member countries of the OECD – the Organisation for Economic Co-opera
  • Registration open for International Transport Forum’s 2014 Summit
    January 17, 2014
    Registration is now open for the 2014 Summit of the International Transport Forum at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Under the theme ‘Transport for a Changing World: Understanding Trends – Shaping Responses’, this year’s event will take place 21-23 May in Leipzig, Germany. The ITF Summit is the leading global forum for transport policy; it is also referred to as the ‘Davos of Transport’. In 2013, 1,000 participants from 80 countries attended, including transport ministers