Amid great excitement and a few tears, the 2023 iRAP Peter Kissinger Award recipients were announced last week in Berlin, in the virtual presence of Peter’s wife Willie and long-time friend Dave Anderson.

In recognition of his great contribution to iRAP and global road safety, the Peter Kissinger Memorial Award has been presented each year since 2020 to the iRAP Staff Member/s who most emulate the iRAP values and spirit that Peter demonstrated in practice each day.

The 2023 winners are:

RUNNER UP: Greg Smith, Global Programme Director

WINNER: Luke Rogers, Global Operations Managers

The nominations were shortlisted by iRAP Chairman of the Board – Miquel Nadal, and chosen by Willie.

In selecting winners, Willie used the iRAP values and looked for characteristics that made her think of Peter. She said that choosing this year’s recipients was particularly difficult.

In reflecting on her selection of Greg as the Runner-Up, Willie recognised his outstanding and inspiring leadership, putting partners first and kindness for his team. Greg is highly innovative with a dedicated approach to find and listen to new ideas and solutions. His work on the Ten Step Tanzania Project and integrity to document the evidence of capacity building and road safety impact was noted. Greg takes great care of his team and encourages them to look after each other. His conviction to iRAP’s purpose and values is very strong. He inspires and motivates others to achieve a multiplier effect in the lives that can be saved.

In reflecting on her selection of Luke as the Winner, Willie recognised his excellence and leadership of technical projects delivery and management around the world. Luke demonstrates a remarkable ability to bring together passionate people around a shared purpose – improving road safety for all. He fosters a culture of collaboration and teamwork to inspire his colleagues, and through his exceptional project management skills, he ensures that every member of his team is engaged and committed to each project’s success. Luke has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to honest, evidence-based work in improving road safety globally. Throughout his time with iRAP, Luke has shown an unwavering dedication to conducting safety assessments and implementing strategies that are based on sound evidence and rigorous analysis. His honest approach to the work, attention to detail, meticulous analysis and dedication have earned him a reputation as a trusted and respected leader in the field of road safety.

Willie has said previously of this special award, “Peter was just so proud of iRAP and so delighted that he was part of the whole organization. He was so impressed and it was important to him. The people in the organization are so passionate, so supporting and so encouraging. This award … I know he knows about it, he’s listening. He’s proud of it.”

iRAP Staff nominations
There were 12 nominations shortlisted for the 2023 award including:

• Amanda Burns, Accountant – ‘Passionate, supportive and diligent with a high attention to detail’
• Anne Alexander, Full Stack Developer – ‘Committed, hard-working, reliable and dedicated’
• Edgar Zamora, Safer Journeys Lead for The Americas – ‘Dedicated, passionate, humble and reliable, caring and encouraging’
• Gabriel Guevara, Road Safety Engineer – ‘Accepts new challenges, reliable and efficient, supportive and caring’
• Greg Smith, Global Programme Director – ‘Passionate, motivated and committed, inspiring leader who values team members and partners’
• James Bradford, Global Technical Director – ‘Dedicated and enthusiastic, with an extensive knowledge of systems’
• Jigesh Bhavsar, IndiaRAP Technical Manager – ‘Excellent team player, perfectionist and great mentor’
• Lou Lupton, Programme Support Officer – ‘Honest and caring, thoughtful and helpful’
• Luke Rogers, Global Operations Manager – ‘Honest, passionate and supportive, inspiring of colleagues and creates a positive work environment’
• Samrat Rai, Full Stack Developer – ‘Perfectionist and creative problem solver, supportive of others’
• Shanna Lucchesi, Project Coordinator – ‘Adaptive and resilient, great communicator and innovative. A friend to many.’
• Shona Holroyd, Chief Financial Officer – ‘100% committed to iRAP, goes above and beyond for good governance, trust and integrity of our charity’

Put some faces to names here

About Peter
Peter was a road safety champion, colleague, and friend to iRAP. He was an iRAP Board Director from 2005 to 2019, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2002 to 2016) and part of the Civil Engineering Research Foundation from 1992 to 2001.

Some comments made by Peter’s colleagues that matched his characteristics included:

• There are countless people who owe their lives to Peter’s passion for safety.
• His achievements only exceeded by his character and integrity.
• An amazing boss and mentor….led by example…and offered wise counsel to everyone.
• A leader, innovator and hero for the cause of road safety.
• He was such a positive person, always looking for the good in …a logically measured way.

We are delighted to share this award in Peter’s name and remember him alongside Willie, a cherished member of our iRAP family.

See more on iRAP’s values here

Information on previous award winners can be found here:

• 2022 winners and nominees
• 2021 winners and nominees
• 2020 winners and nominees