ACEM to host conference on sustainability and motorcycling in Brussels in January 2018

Mr Antti Peltomäki is Deputy Director-General of the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Directorate-General since 2012. In this function, Mr Peltomäki is responsible for industrial transformation and advanced value chains; consumer, environmental and health industries; and innovation and advanced manufacturing directorates. Mr. Peltomäki also serves as the Commission representative at the Management Boards of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Prior to this, he was Deputy Director-General in the Information Society and Media Directorate General where he was responsible for research cooperation and for regulatory policy in the telecommunications, media and internet fields. Mr Peltomäki has also worked as Head of the Commission’s representation in Helsinki.

Prior to joining the European civil service, Mr Peltomäki worked for almost 10 years in the office of the Prime Minister of Finland, initially as State Under-Secretary, then State Secretary for EU affairs. A lawyer by training, Mr Peltomäki began his career as a coordinator of international research and training courses at the Helsinki University of Technology.

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An Austrian national, Mr Stefan Pierer is CEO and a majority shareholder of the KTM Group one of the largest European manufacturers of motorcycles. The company sold worldwide 203.423 vehicles of their brands KTM and Husqvarna in 2016 and employs about 5,480 people worldwide, and has an agreement with Bajaj Auto, India, to produce and distribute KTM’s motorcycles in Asia.

Mr Pierer also serves as Chairman of the Board of Pankl Racing Systems AG, as well as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of WP AG. He was also board member of BF Holding AG, Unternehmens Invest AG, Quanmax AG and Athod Immobilien AG. Furthermore, Mr Pierer served as board member of Polaris Industries Inc.

He began his career in 1982 at HOVAL GmbH in Marchtrenk, Austria, after graduating in Business and Energy Management from the Montan University in Leoben, Austria.

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Mr Bernd Lange is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament from Germany. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party and currently serves as Chairman of the Committee on International Trade. He is also a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the spokesman for trade policy for the Socialist Group.

A well-known motorcyclist with a keen interest in sustainability issues, Mr Lange participated in the discussions on the Commission’s proposal to implement the Euro2 and Euro3 environmental standards for motorcycles.

Before joining the European Parliament, he was Head of the economic, environmental and Europe unit of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and a member of IG Metall, the most important metalworkers’ union in Germany.

He studied Protestant theology and political sciences at the University of Göttingen.

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Ms Joanna Szychowska was appointed Head of the automotive and mobility industries unit of the European Commission in 2015. Her responsibilities include strengthening the competitiveness of the European automotive industry, implementing an effective internal market regulatory framework, and promoting the international harmonization of technical requirements.

Prior to this, she was Head of the unit dealing with EU public procurement policy making, member of the Cabinet of Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen responsible for industrial policy, and member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Danuta Hübner, responsible for Regional policy.

Before joining the European Commission, she worked at a private law firm in Warsaw and for the Polish civil service. Ms. Szychowska studied Law and Administration at the Universities of Warsaw and Utrecht, as well as at the College of Europe.

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Ms Claire Depré serves as Head of the unit responsible for Sustainable and Intelligent Transport, low emission transport and urban mobility in DG MOVE since 2016. In this capacity, she oversees the work of the European Commission on areas such as C-ITS, connected and automated vehicles and electrification of transport.

Prior to this, Ms Depré served as Head of the unit for intelligent transport systems and as assistant to the Director-General of Mobility and Transport.

Before joining the Commission in 2001, she worked in the European Parliament with responsibilities encompassing industry, research and information and communications technology (ICT).

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Greg Archer currently serves as Director of Clean vehicles of Transport and Environment (T&E), one of the largest and most influential environmental NGOs in Europe. At T&E, he leads the clean vehicles team, working on vehicle regulation and testing issues.

Mr Archer is also President of the European Environmental Citizens’ Organisation for Standardisation (ECOS), a non-profit association that promotes the energy efficiency and sustainable development.

He also served as Director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, a UK public-private partnership promoting the shift to clean vehicles and fuels; as Managing director of GAIAN, a consultancy firm; and as Board member of the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies (CENEX).

He holds a BSc in environmental chemistry from the University of East Anglia and describes himself as a ‘pragmatic environmentalist’.

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Mr Silvio Manicardi currently serves as Second Deputy President of the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) Europe.

FIM Europe is a union that groups 47 national motorcycle federations as well as 6 regional motorcycling associations. It owns the FIM sporting rights on European continental championships, plus all commercial, marketing, video, etc. rights. FIM Europe operates in conjunction with FIM in all issues linked to the promotion of motorcycling and the organisation of international non-sporting events held in Europe.

Prior to joining FIM Europe, Mr Manicardi worked as senior manager for Honda Motorcycles Europe, as well as head of motorcycling at ANCMA, the Italian Association of Manufacturers of Bicycles, Motorcycles and Accessories.

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Mr Erwin Segers is the current chairman of ACEM’s Technical and Regulatory Affairs Committee as well as Honda’s coordinator for motorcycle legislation at EU and UNECE level.

He joined Honda’s European government relations and regulations office in 1995. His work has focused on a wide range of areas including EU and UNECE car safety legislation as well as EU and UNECE environment legislation for cars, motorcycles and maritime engines. Mr Segers has been an active member of several ACEM and IMMA committees and working groups, and acted as secretary of the UNECE’s informal working group on worldwide motorcycle test cycle, as well as chairman of the Noise task force of the International Motorcycle Manufacturers’ Association (IMMA).

Prior to joining Honda, Mr Segers worked as an engineer for NO LEAK NV, a brass and copper fittings manufacturing company. He holds an engineering degree in electromechanics from Karel de Grote-Hogeschool, Belgium.

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An Italian-Swedish national, Antonio Perlot is Secretary General of ACEM since 2014. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading and coordinating the work of the association and representing the motorcycle industry at European and international level. Prior to this, Mr Perlot served as ACEM Public affairs manager since 2006, advising the motorcycle industry on public and regulatory affairs.

Between 2001 and 2006, Mr Perlot worked for the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA), first as Campaigns officer, then as Secretary General. Prior to that he worked at EPRO as a public affairs consultant representing clients from different industry sectors and, before that, in the NGO sector.

Mr Perlot holds a BA in political science (specialisation in European integration) from La Sapienza University and a MA in Diplomatic studies from Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale (SIOI).

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