Jean Todt

Jean Todt has been the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety since April 2015. He was born in 1946 in Pierrefort, France. He has one son, Nicolas, and shares his life with actress, film producer and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, Michelle Yeoh. He studied economics, business and marketing at the Ecole des Cadres in Paris. He started his career in 1966 as a rally co-driver and participated in the World Rally Championship until 1981. He won the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers with Talbot Lotus in 1981. Between 1981 and 1990, he was Director of Racing and Founder of Peugeot Talbot Sport. Between 1990 and 1993, he was Director of Sporting Activities of PSA Peugeot Citroën. Between 1993 and 2006, he was Team Principal of Formula 1, Ferrari. Between 2006 and 2009, he was Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari. He is the former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). He was first elected to this post in October 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017 until 2021. He also devotes his time to several charitable causes. He is one of the Founders and Vice-President of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epinière (ICM), an institute focused on medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders. He was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the United Nations Association of New York in 2016 and the Lifetime Achievement for Contribution to Road Safety by the European Commission in 2022.