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

  • A history lesson in private public partnerships
    February 15, 2012
    Michel Démarre gives some historical insights into public-private partnerships conceived to implement urban infrastructure projects, a concept that surprisingly dates back to as early as the 13th century!
  • CECE Congress focuses on future of construction
    May 8, 2012
    The bi-annual CECE Congress was held in Spain when participants looked forward in a bid to see what will happen in the next ten years. Growth markets such as China, India and Brazil offer big opportunities to European construction equipment manufacturers. As companies, particularly those from China, start to expand outside their own countries the competition for business will increase, and it has been claimed that there is no such thing as 'the global market', rather it is the sum of hundreds, if not thousa
  • The IRF is gearing up for greener road infrastructure
    March 13, 2014
    Prominent new publication reinforces IRF Geneva’s long-standing commitment to making sustainable transport a reality Moving Towards Green Road Infrastructure: Case Studies and Lessons Learned’ is the latest in a series of practical resources developed by IRF Geneva aimed at identifying tangible solutions for encouraging sustainability at every stage of the road infrastructure life cycle. Formally launched last December in the framework of the IRF Geneva Summit ‘Bringing Policy and Practice Together’,
  • Step up Action! IRF in New York for the launch of the UN Road Safety Fund
    June 15, 2018
    The Road Safety community gathered in New York on 12th-13th April for the launch of a new United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund. The new UN Fund is intended to catalyse road safety action across the globe, using donations to help unlock new government and municipal funding and refocus national road safety budgets towards proven ‘Safe System’ interventions. The FIA Foundation has pledged a donation of US$10 million to kick-start the fund launched by UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed. The FIA Found