Conference speakers
Gilles Mugnier (Secretary General, CIT)
Gilles is the Secretary General of the CIT (The International Rail Transport Committee) since the middle of 2023. Before taking over this position, Gilles Mugnier – who graduated as lawyer with studies in France and Switzerland - has held legal management positions in the energy and rail transport sectors. He first worked as a lawyer for Gaz de France and then for Electricité de France, mainly in charge of international projects. In 1999, he joined the company Rexel (Kering group) to take charge of international cases and financial law in the legal department. In 2004, he moved to the transport sector by joining the Keolis Group as Legal Director in charge of international and rail activities. Afterwards, he became Deputy General Counsel at SNCF group in 2011. In this context, he played a significant role in the legal supervision of the 2015 and 2020 French rail reforms. In 2020, he joined the SNCF group's international division as International Affairs Director, where he was in charge of major projects and contracts.
Jakop Dalunde (Member of Resenaererna and former MEP)
Jakop has spent almost two decades in public service -- as a local politician in Stockholm, as a member of the Swedish parliament and as a member of the European Parliament, where he served for two terms in the transport committee for the Greens. He has also worked as programme director at the green and liberal think tank Fores and as a political advisor in the Prime Ministers Office of Political Coordination in the Swedish Government. He also loves trains.
Christophe Philippe (European and Legal Expert, UITP)
During his extensive 25-year professional experience with one of Belgium's three public transport operators, Christophe served as Legal Counsel, specializing primarily in procurement law, contractual agreements and regulatory frameworks relevant to the public transport sector. His expertise includes a comprehensive understanding of tendering processes regulations. He joined UITP in 2023 as a seconded expert where he contributes to both the Legal and EU departments. Within the latter, he manages the Public Service Obligation dossier.
Dr. Malte Wienker (Director Global Public Affairs, Flixbus)
Malte Wienker heads the global Public Affairs activities and team at Flix since May 2023. He began his career as a lawyer at the international law firm Hogan Lovells and moved to the media company Axel Springer in 2013, where he held various management positions. He notably worked in Public Affairs where he was responsible for liaising with various institutions and organizations. In this role and also as Chief of Staff, he dealt with numerous regulatory issues, in particular competition law and digital policy. In his latest position as head of the communications and sustainability departments, he also handled regulatory requirements for climate-relevant business.
Dr. Jakub Majewski (CEO, ProKolej Foundation)
Ph.D. in transport policy, graduate of two Departments of Warsaw University: the European Institute of Local Development and the Geography and Regional Studies. As the founder and manager of Transport Policy Lab, he lectured at the A. Gieysztor Academy of Humanities (2011-2014) and at the Warsaw School of Economics (2018-2020). Currently, employed as an assistant professor at Warsaw University at the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG). Analyst and expert in mobility and logistics, development of transport systems and infrastructure investments professionally involved in spatial planning and the railway market. In 2001-2006 a specialist in the Mazovian Regional Planning Office and President of the Institute for Railway Development and Promotion. Then, a member of management boards and supervisory boards of railway undertakings, including top Polish entities, such as PKP Przewozy Regionalne, SKM Warszawa, Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa, PKP PLK. In 2009-10 the President of the Mazowieckie Railways, and then a Manager in PL.2012 responsible for infrastructure investments carried out before UEFA Euro 2012. From 2012 the Vice-President of the Railway Transport Office (the Polish Railway Regulator), and from 2014 the President of the "Pro Kolej" Foundation. Author and reviewer of several scientific articles, analytical studies, feasibility studies, bills and regulations. Licensed train driver and an media expert in railway and infrastructure.
Sophie Buyse (Head of Management Markets International Long Distance Transport of DB Fernverkehr)
After my studies in France, I have been working for German consulting companies before starting working for Deutsche Bahn. During the last 10 years my focus was on building cooperation's and finding solutions for the development of European long distance railway passenger transport.
Alberto Mazzola (CER, Executive Director)
Alberto has been CER Executive Director since January 2021, representing its members towards EU policymakers and advocating rail as the backbone of a competitive and sustainable transport system in Europe. Alberto Mazzola holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Doctorate cum Laude in Nuclear Engineering from the Politecnico of Milan. In 2002 he joined Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS), where he held different positions. In his last role as Head of International Government Affairs, he was based in Brussels dealing with international affairs and European legislation, market regulation and technical standards. In his previous role of Head of International Affairs, he covered also business developments outside Italy. Before joining FS, he served as Member of the cabinet of Italy’s State Holding Minister, Adviser to the Ministry of Industry in Romania, Mayor of Villa d’Adda and contributed to the worldwide business section of Leonardo Finmeccanica. Honours: Cavaliere della Repubblica Italiana. Active in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2015, Alberto Mazzola was Vice-President of the Transport, Energy and Service of General Interest Section and President of the International Trade Agreements Follow up Committee until September 2020. Since January 2021 he serves as Member of the EESC’s Consultative Commission on Industrial Change, representing CER as well as Business Europe.
Karol Kłosowski (Director of the Passenger Transport Department, Office of Rail Transport)
Karol is the Director of the Passenger Transport Department at the Office of Rail Transport, member of the working group on passenger rights at DG MOVE EC; member of the working group on safety in rail transport RAILSEC at DG MOVE EC; doctor of law (PhD); graduate of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the Warsaw School of Economics, the Krakow University of Technology and the Institute of Legal Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences; author of scientific publications, university lecturer.
Aurelien Gandois (VP Buses, BlaBlaCar)
Aurelien has 20 years’ of operational and business transformation experience in the logistics, transport and e-commerce industry. Aurelien joined Blablacar in 2021 and is responsible for growing Blablacar bus network in Europe. Before joining Blablacar, Aurelien was at Amazon where he ran the last mile transport operations developing faster and more sustainable parcel deliveries. Prior to this, Aurelien worked more than a decade in the consumer goods industry with companies such as Danone and Mars in operations and logistics functions.
Delphine Grandsart (Senior Researcher, EPF)
Delphine has been working on mobility and public transport related projects for over 12 years, specialising in passenger rights, user behaviour and the needs of specific user groups, such as people with reduced mobility and elderly people. She has participated in several EU research and innovation projects covering a wide range of topics, including user behaviour modelling (USEmobility), smart traffic management (TMaaS), collective innovation (CIPTEC), the transport needs of vulnerable user groups (HiReach), information technologies for Shift2Rail (IT2Rail and GOF4R). She is currently also involved in SHOW (on connected automated mobility deployment) and SIGN-AIR (on data sharing contracts). Delphine actively contributes to EPF’s policy work at EU level and is frequently invited to represent EPF – the end-users – at transport and mobility related conferences, round tables, debates and other relevant events.
Stefan Akira Jarecki (Professor, Warsaw University of Technology)
Professor at the Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences of the Warsaw University of Technology, lecturer at the Warsaw Academy of Information Technology (under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences), lecturer And coordinator of education in the areas of law and administration at the Lech Kaczynski National School of Public Administration. Member of the Warsaw Seminar of Axiology of Administration, Association of Communication Engineers and Technicians of the Republic of Poland, and the scientific council of the ProKolej Foundation. Advisor to one of the Polish Ministers. Internal trainer in Polish public administration. Author of numerous articles and books concerning State aid and railway transport regulation.
Josef Schneider (Chairman, EPF)
Josef Schneider is the Chairman of EPF’s management board. He is a daily user of public transport, depending on the necessities train, bus or aviation. He knows the hardships of passengers from his own personal experience, but also appreciates the advantages of not having to bear the responsibility driving a car.
Elisabeth Kotthaus (DG MOVE)
Elisabeth Kotthaus is Head of Unit for Social Affairs, Passenger Rights & Equal Opportunities in the Directorate- General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) of the European Commission since September 2017. She joined the European Commission in 2005. She worked there in the areas of TEN-T and the internal market of electricity and gas (DG TREN), anti-fraud (as Member of Cabinet), transport in general (as assistant to the Director- General of DG MOVE), Justice & Home Affairs and Digital Agenda (in the Representation of the Commission in Germany). Before 2005, she was a partner of a major law firm in Germany. Her specialisation was employment law. Her latest publications refer to EU transport law (co-author of the chapter on transport with D. Boeing and T. Maxian Rusche in Hilf-Grabitz-Nettesheim, Das Recht der Europäischen Union, C.H.Beck-Verlag, 2012 pp (loose leaf), and the Chapter on TEN-T in Ortiz Blanco/ van Houtte (Eds), EU Regulation and Competition Law in the Transport Sector, Oxford University Press, 2017).