Athens provided the setting on 30 June 2025, as International Road Federation (IRF) board members, secretariat staff and delegates convened in the Royal Olympic Hotel and online for the IRF’s hybrid General Assembly. The event was held alongside the International Symposium “Navigating the Future of Traffic Management” (29 June – 3 July 2025). 

At the heart of the General Assembly was the formal appointment of Dimitris Mandalozis as IRF President. Although Mr Mandalozis has already been guiding the Federation’s work, today’s vote confirmed his role and ensures continuity in leadership. Members also elected and re-elected Members of the IRF Board of Directors, reaffirming the involvement of seasoned professionals from diverse regions. 

Among those re-elected to the Board is Bill M. Halkias, whose experience includes presidencies of IBTTA, ASECAP and HELLASTRON. His re‑election brings strategic insight drawn from decades of service in toll road operations and transportation engineering. The General Assembly also pleased to welcome Anouar Benazzouz, Peter Lipar and Nicolas Miravalls, each of whom has contributed to IRF through prior Board service and technical expertise. 

In addition, the General Assembly elected several new members to the IRF Board of Directors:

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Youssef El Hansali – CEO, VITRONIC Machine Vision Middle East LLC; pioneer in speed enforcement technology 

• Zhang Xigang – Vice‑President, China Highway and Transportation Society; member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering 

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Zheng Jian‑long – Academician, China Academy of Engineering; Chair Professor of Highway & Railway Engineering, Chongqing University 

• Yang Aiguo – Director, Department of Highway Transport, Transport Planning and Research Institute, Ministry of Transport, China 

• Aubin Essaïe Moussa – President, ARMFA (Cameroon) 

• Dr Anilkumar Gaikwad – Vice‑President, IRF India Chapter; former PWD Secretary (Works), Government of Maharashtra 

• Akhilesh Srivastava – President, IRF India Chapter; authority on road safety and intelligent transport systems 

In addition to the appointed Members, the Assembly also warmly welcomed Susanna Zammataro, CEO of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and former IRF Director General, and Jon Obenberger, Director of JTO Transportation Consulting and former FHWA research and operations leader, as new Advisors to the Board. Their extensive experience and strategic insight will be invaluable in guiding IRF’s technical initiatives and advocacy efforts as the Federation advances towards 2030. 

Throughout the day, numerous new members were introduced and, together with long-standing members, engaged directly with the IRF team, reviewed the Treasurer’s Report and discussed opportunities for 2025. Plans for the next five years were presented.

Closing the Assembly, IRF President commented “Our commitment is always about delivering value to members and the sector, it is about increasing professionalism and about reinforcing our Federation. We need the active involvement of each Member to succeed in this mission.  It is through our collective efforts that we can ensure the Federation remains strong, relevant, and successful.” 

The Assembly’s close turnout of delegates and the robust agenda reflect our collective drive to consolidate the Federation’s foundation and support meaningful exchanges between practitioners, policymakers and industry partners. Confirming our leadership and Board today marks a steady step forward for the IRF’s continued work in improving global road networks.