Since July 2018, Manel Villalante has been the Chief Strategy & Development Officer of Renfe Operadora. In addition, since January 2019, Manel has been the Chairman of UIC’s Global Passengers Forum and CER/UIC’s High-Level Passengers Forum.

Previously, Mr. Villanate was the Mobility and Transport Infrastructures Director at Barcelona Regional, Urban Development Agency (2012-2018), General Director of Inland Transport at the Ministry of Development of Spain (2010-2012), General Director of Inland Transport at Generalitat of Catalonia (2007-2010) and Mobility Director at Barcelona City Council (1991-1997). Additionally, he has held several management positions at Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), from 2004 to 2007, and Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB), between 2000 y 2004.

He has also been member of different boards of directors, in companies such as Renfe Operadora, TMB, FGC or Sagrera High-Speed Consortium. Mr. Villalante is currently managing the postgraduate program of “Smart Mobility: Intelligent Systems of Transport” at Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya and he has also been professor of Transport Economy & Planning at the same university.