The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has announced its new joint vice chairs. Reyes Gonzalez Jannon, Head of Safety at Nestlé, and Majed Samarah, Principal Safety Advisor for Road Transport at QatarEnergy, will serve together in the Partnership’s leadership.
GRSP, which brings governments, the private sector and civil society together under the umbrella of road safety, announced the new appointments on July 13. Both executives elected to the joint vice chair role come from the safety management side of the private sector.
Who are the new joint vice chairs?
Reyes Gonzalez Jannon leads Nestlé’s global safety strategy as the company’s most senior safety executive. Her remit covers road safety programs spanning production operations, logistics and sales activities. Jannon has championed the company-wide implementation of safe driving standards that extend beyond employees to contractors and transport partners. She previously served as an active member of the GRSP Executive Committee.
Majed Samarah works as Principal Safety Advisor for Road Transport at QatarEnergy, on secondment from Shell. He brings international experience in road transport safety, contractor safety governance and safety management systems gained in Jordan, Nigeria and Qatar. Samarah also serves as vice chair of both the Land Transport Safety Committee and the Contractor Safety Technical Experts Committee within the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP).
“Road safety is a shared responsibility”
Commenting on the appointments, GRSP Chief Executive Officer Dave Cliff described the two as highly qualified leaders with a deep commitment to road safety, noting that their willingness to support the Partnership’s work has been evident from the outset. Professor Barry Watson, Chair of GRSP, added that the expertise the new vice chairs bring from different industries and regions of the world will strengthen the Partnership’s efforts.
Taking up the role, Samarah summed up his approach with the words “Road safety is a shared responsibility,” saying he aims to strengthen global partnerships that turn commitment into action. Jannon noted that road safety sits at the heart of how companies protect their people and the communities they operate in, and said the focus will remain on practical, scalable solutions.
The private sector’s growing weight at the table
The common thread between the two appointments is striking: both executives come not from public administration but from corporate fleet and occupational safety management. The choice reflects a strengthening trend in road safety governance. A significant share of the vehicles on the world’s roads belong to company fleets, and work-related driving ranks among the leading causes of occupational fatalities in many countries. Companies that extend their safety standards across their supply chains can create an impact that reaches well beyond legal requirements. GRSP’s decision can be read as a deliberate move to bring that expertise to the center of the Partnership.
Source: Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) official announcement, July 13, 2026, grsproadsafety.org
