A word from the FIDIC president
Welcome to the fourth edition of MembershipMAtters, our digital newsletter for FIDIC members.
There is only one place to begin with my introduction to this issue of the newsletter and that is to say how delighted I am to be able to announce that FIDIC has appointed Susanna Zammataro, currently the director general of the International Road Federation (IRF), as its new chief executive officer. This appointment comes after an extensive search and Susanna will take up her new post at FIDIC in May 2025.
The FIDIC board and I are really delighted to have found an excellent candidate like Susanna to be the next CEO of our organisation. As a global industry federation leader of many years standing, Susanna knows well how membership organisations work and is familiar with the business, political and regulatory environment in which they operate. Her significant experience in the international transportation sector and across the membership organisation arena also shows that she has the skills and expertise to lead FIDIC into the future.
You can read more about the appointment below but suffice to say that Susanna’s skillset and experience in delivering success and influencing decision makers is just what we need at FIDIC and her collegiate and collaborative approach shines through in everything that she does. The board and I, with your support and that of our FIDIC staff, are looking forward to working with Susanna and giving her our full support as she takes on her new role as our new chief executive.
Elsewhere, we have had a busy start to the year on a number of fronts, with FIDIC visits to a number of regions around the world. Everywhere I went I was received with great warmth, hospitality and appreciation.
I was delighted to be invited to the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) 4th International Conference in Riyadh to speak at a key session on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Risk Management. While there, Daduna Kokhreidze, FIDIC’s general counsel and manager for legal and contract services and I had an excellent meeting with Saudi Arabian member association, the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE), led by secretary general Eng. Adbulmoshsen Almajnoni. We also signed a cooperation agreement to promote the highest international standards in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) with the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCC). While in the region, we met with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
Limited (EIL), NBCC (India) Ltd, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), RITES Limited, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), Border Roads, member companies of CEAI, etc.
Mr JVL Narayana welcomed the participants, briefed the gathering on CEAI’s activities and set the context for the discussions.
(ADFD) to advance the use of FIDIC contracts on the strategic infrastructure projects ADFD finance in countries across Africa, Central, South and North Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
the value addition they could bring to the table.
Mr Prashant Kapila welcomed the participants, elaborated on FIDIC activities and the role of FIDIC in sustainable development. He mentioned the golden principles of FIDIC and stated that the Indian consulting industry can reap benefits from FIDIC with its global reach and 650 volunteers working across the globe.
Ms Catherine Karakatsanis, in her address, introduced the FIDIC Board Members and gave a detailed presentation illustrating various activities carried out by FIDIC. Each of the FIDIC Members also presented their roles and responsibilities and the value addition they could bring to the table.
5 +91 9871166102 ceai.ceai@gmail.com, info@ceai.org.in
+91 9871166102 ceai.ceai@gmail.com, info@ceai.org.in
The FIDIC board was also pleased to be hosted by Indian member association, CEAI, the Consulting Engineers Association of India, at its March meeting in Delhi. Grateful thanks go to CEAI president and FIDIC board member Prashant Kapila for putting an excellent programme together for us. I attended the FIDIC North American member associations’ meeting in March where the level of discussion and cooperation was impressive. I was also pleased to be invited to speak at the recent conference of the Panamanian Chamber of Consultants (CAPACO), co-hosted by FEPAC, the Pan American Federation of Consultants, on the subject of Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience and Climate Change. We had excellent discussions with CAPACO and it appears that we will be welcoming them into FIDIC membership very soon.
www.ceai.org.in
Work is now also well under way on the arrangements for this year’s FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference which is taking place in Cape Town, South Africa. I am looking forward to welcoming as many of our member associations as possible to the event in September, so please ensure that you reserve your place using the link in this newsletter so that we can have the best possible turnout for what is always an excellent industry event. More immediately, I’m also looking forward to welcoming global infrastructure leaders from across the consultancy and engineering sector to Madrid on 10-11 April 2025 for the third annual Global Leadership Forum (GLF) Summit. We will be discussing many key infrastructure issues during two days of talks, debates and discussions with industry leaders and opinion formers.
Thanks to the excellent work and dedication of FIDIC’s senior management team and staff, FIDIC continues to perform its daily activities and advance our agenda. Our FIDIC committees and task forces have also been very active and continue the great contributions they make to our industry. The FIDIC board members have been very engaged and working hard to support the secretariat, the committees and the many initiatives.
Finally, as always, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to my fellow board members and the FIDIC secretariat for their ongoing dedication, hard work and support. I also send massive thanks to our member associations, volunteers and stakeholders, for all that you do for FIDIC and our global industry.
Best wishes,
Catherine Karakatsanis President, FIDIC
FIDIC appoints international transport industry leader Susanna Zammataro as its new chief executive officer
FIDIC has appointed Susanna Zammataro, currently the director general of the International Road Federation (IRF) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, as its new chief executive officer. This appointment comes after an extensive search and Susanna will take up her new post at FIDIC on 1 May 2025.
Susanna is an accomplished industry sector leader, who as director general of the International Road Federation, a membership organisation representing leading corporate and institutional players in the global roads and mobility sectors, is responsible for leading and managing the organisation. She brings 25 years of unparalleled experience and expertise to her new role as FIDIC CEO. With a distinguished career spanning international organisations, the public and private sectors, Susanna has built an extensive and influential network that spans continents and sectors, positioning her as a leading figure in global advocacy, strategic planning and organisational transformation. Her ability to navigate complex international landscapes has also been honed through her previous roles including at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she worked on trade and investment agreements, at the European Commission and in shaping policy, international negotiations and advocacy efforts. With a master’s in European law from the College of Europe, coupled with a strong foundation in political science and international relations, she is an accomplished leader committed to driving innovation, fostering global cooperation and enhancing FIDIC’s influence in shaping the future of the global infrastructure sector.
Click here to read more about the appointment of Susanna Zammataro as FIDIC’s new CEO.
Global Infrastructure Conference 2025 update
The theme for this year’s FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference to be held in Cape Town, South Africa is a very topical one. Smart Infrastructure: Equality, Resilience, and Innovation for a Sustainable World will set the framework for some essential and timely discussions on the future of infrastructure and how it will be delivered in a changing world. As always, the Global Infrastructure Conference programme is preceded by a weekend of activities for FIDIC’s member associations, volunteers and supporters. This year, the FIDIC Directors and Secretaries Advisory Council is compiling an exciting programme for Saturday 20 September 2025 focusing on association leadership, showcasing the latest successful activities of our member associations and an interactive session with the FIDIC board and chief executive. All FIDIC’s member associations are invited and encouraged to attend this exciting day of knowledge sharing and networking ahead of the conference. More information will be coming soon!
It is fitting that our 2025 conference, hosted by our member association, Consulting Engineers South Africa, is being held in Cape Town as the G20 Presidency is handed over to South Africa, with a theme for the year around fostering solidarity, equality and sustainable development. There could be no better time or place for the infrastructure sector to meet and show its excellence, integrity and significance in shaping a better tomorrow for all. The programme and speaker line up for the conference is currently being finalised and we urge all FIDIC members to book their places now as we expect the event to sell out. As always, FIDIC member associations receive discounted tickets for the event, so register your interest for the event below to be sure that you don’t miss out on this important industry gathering.
Click here to register for the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference 2025.
Congratulations to our Iranian MA, ISCE, on their 50th anniversary
The Iranian Society of Consulting Engineers (ISCE), FIDIC’s member association in Iran, celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2024 with a key industry gathering of more than 1,500 stakeholders from the construction, water, oil and gas, transportation, railway and mining sectors. The event brought together ISCE members, senior government officials and industry leaders to honour five decades of engineering excellence and collaboration.
The ceremony opened with a special video message from FIDIC’s president, setting the tone for an excellent event which emphasised the shared global values of the consulting engineering community. The celebration featured the presence of several high-ranking officials, including the ministers of energy, roads and urban development, oil and other government representatives. It paid tribute to 60 prominent figures of Iran’s consulting engineering community, alongside former ministers and deputy ministers who had significantly contributed to the industry’s progress.
New member association toolkit under development
The FIDIC Directors and Secretaries Advisory Council (DNSAC) is currently working on the development of a toolkit of resources to support FIDIC’s member associations which they hope will be a valuable resource for FIDIC’s global community. The toolkit will help countries that don’t have a member association to effectively establish one and will support established member associations to grow enduring resilience and sustainability. It’s all about sharing knowledge and best practice so that, together, FIDIC can build a stronger global engineering and consulting sector. The toolkit will include examples of best practice so that MAs can learn from each other and help each other be the best that they can be, use templates and/or checklists so that it is easy for all members to use, be scalable to member associations of any size and be concise and accessible for FIDIC’s diverse membership.
The toolkit will have a number of modules that will cover a range of areas including establishing your member association, setting the objectives and purpose of your MA, understanding your ecosystem and business case, developing a member value proposition, understanding the legal framework for your MA, determining your membership, including membership classes, criteria, member obligations/code of conduct or ethics, fees and application and termination processes, establishing a governance framework, creating a strategic plan, determining operational requirements and organisational structure and staffing. It will also include topic areas for MAs looking to extend their operations, such as on member associations and AI, building your sponsorship and partnership strategy, succession planning and member recruitment and retention, among other things.
The plan is for different parts of the toolkit to be released as they are worked on and the intention is to start with some of the topic areas in the module on Establishing Your Member Association and some of the topic areas in Enhancing your Association. It is hoped that a good number of the topic areas will be completed before the Global Infrastructure Conference in Cape Town in September 2025.
FIDIC strengthens industry links during visit to Saudi Arabia
A recent visit by a FIDIC delegation to Saudi Arabia saw the organisation strengthen its links with the construction sector in the kingdom. FIDIC president Catherine Karakatsanis and general counsel Daduna Kokhreidze met with Saudi Arabian member association, the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE), to discuss a range of issues and to receive updates on both organisations’ activities. During the visit to Saudi Arabia, in a separate meeting, FIDIC also signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) to promote the highest international standards in construction and engineering and the use of arbitration, mediation, dispute boards and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods.
Click here to read more about the FIDIC visit to Saudi Arabia.
Two
forthcoming FIDIC State of the World reports to highlight sustainability issues
Two forthcoming FIDIC State of the World reports deal with issues that will be of interest to MAs and their member firms. Infrastructure Adaptation for Emerging Economies – Scaling Sustainable Solutions, due for launch on 25 June 2025, will be looking at practical, scalable and investment-ready solutions for infrastructure adaptation in emerging markets. The report will highlight workable solutions for infrastructure adaptation in emerging markets and a launch event is set to bring together industry experts, policymakers and financiers to discuss a range of pertinent issues. Financing Sustainable Infrastructure: Navigating the New Terrain of Sustainable Infrastructure Finance, due for launch on 23 October 2025, will explore the evolving financial landscape for sustainable infrastructure, set against a backdrop of shifting global priorities.
Click here to register a place for the launch events for both reports.
Two online events of interest to member associations
Members should take note of two forthcoming online events that should be of interest. On Wednesday 7 May 2025, the latest Official FIDIC Regional Contract Users Conference takes place. This one-day conference, to be staged online and delivered in-house by FIDIC, offers a unique opportunity to share progress on the application and use of FIDIC contracts in the Americas and Caribbean region and internationally. The conference will include participation from multilateral development banks, other funders, private sector organisations and clients, government, engineers, contractors, investors, lawyers, consultants and many other stakeholders who have an interest in the use and application of FIDIC contracts across the Americas and the Caribbean.
Click here for further information and booking for the Official FIDIC Regional Contract Users Conference.
On Tuesday 24 June 2025, a Showcasing FIDIC member associations webinar will highlight some of the successful initiatives being undertaken by FIDIC’s global member associations which are making a positive difference to member firms in their local area and the wider industry. Attendees will be able to learn from the best practice initiatives showcased at the webinar and see how they were undertaken to take these learnings back into their own MAs.
Click here for further information and booking for the Showcasing FIDIC member associations webinar.
