Jean Todt
Mr. Jean Todt is the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety appointed by the then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 29 April 2015, as the first ever Special Envoy for Road Safety. Mr. Todt was the previous President of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile) and is now an Honorary President of the FIA – the international motor sport governing body and federation of motoring organisations. On 6 February 2022, Mr. Todt was awarded as winner and inaugural recipient of the Autosport Gold Medal, in recognition of his lifetime of service to the sport and for leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
He ran for FIA President in 2009, winning three successive four-year terms that concluded in December 2021. Some notable highlights from his presidency include the introduction of the electric racing Formula E series, the Women in Motorsport commission, the Halo head protection device, the F1 Budget cap, the Action for Road Safety campaign and the $20 Affordable Helmet for road use in developing countries. Mr. Todt made road safety a priority of the federation by launching the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign in 2011 in support of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. The campaign is built around a global advocacy for road safety, supporting action on the ground by its 250 member clubs in nearly 150 countries, building institutional and commercial partnerships and mobilising the motor sport community to promote road safety.
Mr. Todt is also a member of the FIA Foundation for Automobile and Society Board of Trustees. He began his career as a world championship rally co-driver in 1966, before joining Peugeot in 1981 as Sporting Director. He joined Ferrari Racing in 1993, ultimately becoming responsible for all motor sport activities for the Ferrari-Maserati Group. In 2003, he was appointed General Manager of Ferrari and at the end of 2006, became Chief Executive Officer of the company until 2008.
In 2011, Mr. Todt was named Grand Croix de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest honour of the French Republic. He is Chairman of the Board of the Suu Foundation, a humanitarian organisation founded by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to advance the health and education of the people of Myanmar, and a member of the International Peace Institute (IPI) Board of Directors. He is also one of the Founders and the Vice-President of ICM, a medical research institute devoted to medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders. Mr. Jean Todt was born on 25 February 1946 at Pierrefort, Cantal (France). He has one son, Nicolas Todt, and shares his life with actress and film producer Michelle Yeoh, who is a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and Global Road Safety Advocate.