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

  • On the road to the IRF Istanbul Congress, first stop: decarbonisation
    May 30, 2024

    As the world gears up for the highly anticipated IRF World Congress 2024 to be hosted in Istanbul on 15-18 October 2024, work on some of the core themes of the Congress is moving on steadily.

    Under the overarching theme of “Connecting to Empower Mobility: Roads as Enablers of a Sustainable Future for All”, the Congress serves as a dynamic platform to explore innovative solutions and collaborative efforts.

  • IRF Connects Roads to Development in Latin America
    November 20, 2014
    Connecting roads to development at 4th IRF Latin America Regional Congress Senior representatives from the World Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America and Odebrecht Latinvest joined IRF for the opening of the 4th IRF Latin America Regional Congress in Lima by Peruvian minister of transport & communications, José Gallardo Ku.
  • Key courses are making a difference, one IRF Fellow at a time
    February 24, 2015
    66th Class of IRF Fellows Takes Part in Unique Leadership Course. The 66th Class of IRF Fellows has taken part in an innovative leadership course. In all 30 IRF Fellows representing 22 countries as diverse as Haiti, Kenya and Indonesia took part in the International Road Federation’s Road Scholar Programme in January 2015. Timed with the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting, the program is an annual 10-day leadership and orientation course which brings together the new class of IRF Fellows in Wash
  • TRA 2014 showcases the best of cutting-edge transport research and thinking
    July 1, 2014
    Despite tight finances due to the current global economic climate, the recent Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2014 show in Paris showed how innovative transport research, largely using cutting-edge ITS, is creating safer and smarter highways of the future. Guy Woodford reports How far can you drive around a car race track with no other vehicles on it on half a glass of fuel while attempting to maintain a speed of 60kph? After taking up the challenge offered by the Eco Driving Simulator using SiVIC (Simulatio