Executive Director
The Executive Director is the legal representative of the Agency and is responsible for the administrative management of the Agency and for the implementation of tasks assigned to it under the ERA Regulation.
Oana Gherghinescu selected future ERA Executive Director
On 19 March 2025, Oana Gherghinescu has been selected as the future Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), following a decision by the Agency’s Management Board during its 68th meeting.
Biography
Pio Guido currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), a role he will hold until Oana Gherghinescu takes office. In this capacity, with the joint commitment of the ERA Management Team, he assures the business continuity of the agency’s mission to enhance the safety, interoperability, and sustainability of Europe's railway systems. With three decades of experience in railway engineering and operations, he has contributed in various roles to the development of the European rail transport.
Pio has been the Head of the Railway Systems Department at ERA since 2019, overseeing the development of key projects and the elaboration of critical deliverables since 2019. Previously, he managed the agency's Railway System Unit and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Unit, contributing significantly to standardising rail operations across member states.
Pio's career began with engineering roles at international companies in the automation business like Marconi Italia, Elsag Italia, and Bailey Controls in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He later became Deputy Managing Director of the ERTMS Users Group in Brussels, representing Italy's RFI from 2001 to 2005. His expertise spans project management, advanced train control systems, and international railway collaboration.
Holding a Master’s in Electronic Engineering from the University of Genoa, Pio is also a Fellow of the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) and a member of the Collegio Italiano Ingegneri Ferroviari (CIFI).
The Agency continues to make railways safer, more efficient, and accessible for the benefit of society, working at full capacity with all stakeholders also in this transitional period.
