Organisation

Corporate form

After having been formed as a de facto association in 1970, in April 1991 the UIRR was transformed into a co-operative company under Belgian law.

Its structure is classically that of a company of commercial vocation, and its functioning is based around a General Meeting of Shareholders, a Board of Directors and an executive management team.

Organisation chart

UIRR office is led by Director General Ralf-Charley SCHULZE.
Interest Groups are topic-specific working bodies of members’ experts, which regularly meet to discuss the topics handled by UIRR.
Collaborative Platforms operate under selected Interest Groups to facilitate the interaction between Technology Partners and Members of UIRR. Collaborative Platforms meet at least once a year, or more often if topics justify.

General Assembly (Members)

The Articles of Association which currently determine the functioning of the company are those adopted by the shareholders on the occasion of the General Meeting of Shareholders held in Brussels on 16 May 2024.

In this version, UIRR SC has essentially ensured that it makes itself accessible to any interested Combined Transport Operator, whether or not a subsidiary of a railway undertaking, as well as to Managers of Intermodal Terminals.

The Articles of Association make provision for the following categories of members and clarify their rights and obligations:

Active Operator members those European companies who, in order to meet one of the principal conditions of admission, must for at least a year have been commercial entities whose main activity is the organisation and commercialisation of Combined Transport (as a CT Operator);
Active Terminal members: those European companies, who in order to meet one of the principal conditions of admission, must for at least a year have been commercial entities whose main activity is to own or manage at least one intermodal transhipment terminal (Terminal Manager) – the organization and/or the marketing of combined transport can not be a main activity of Terminal Members;
Sympathising members: a company or to any association, organisation or entity candidate for such a status, whose activity has a link with the CT sector; or a company which has a professional activity required to become an active member of category A or category B, but which has not yet become an active member.

Board of Directors

The General Assembly elects the Board of Directors of UIRR every three years. UIRR’s presently sitting Board of Directors was elected in May 2024; consequently its mandate will expire in May 2027.

The members of the Board of Directors are :

Michail STAHLHUT, Chairman (CEO, Hupac)
Jürgen ALBERSMANN, Vice-Chair (CEO, Contargo)
Ben BEIRNAERT (Managing Director, Combinant)
Bénédicte COLIN (CEO, Naviland Cargo / VIIA)
Peter KISS (CEO, METRANS)
Andrea DE BERNARDI (CEO, Mercitalia Intermodal)
Roberto Barraza (Managing Director, Ambrogio Intermodal)

Every member of the Board of Directors must come from member companies where they should at least serve as a managing director. The members of the Board of Directors must be proposed to the Board of Directors by at least one UIRR member company.

UIRR Brussels Team

Partners and Peers

Technical partners are providers of intermodal technologies and/or essential services to Combined Transport, who decide to partner with UIRR. Becoming a Technology Partner is a prerequisite to participation in the various Collaborative Platforms.
MoU Peers may be national or international associations committed to the promotion of Combined Transport and who declare that they share UIRR’s objectives (as expressed in its mission and vision).