After five transformative years at the helm of the European Cyclists’ Federation, Jill Warren is stepping down as CEO. Under her leadership, cycling in Europe reached new political heights, including the adoption of the EU Cycling Declaration and an unprecedented wave of public and political support. In this interview, Jill reflects on her journey, the milestones she’s most proud of, the future of cycling in Europe and beyond, and what comes next—both for the movement and for her.
1. You’ve led the European Cyclists’ Federation through an extraordinary period for cycling in Europe. When did your journey with ECF begin, and what motivated you to initially take on this role?
I joined ECF in February 2020. Who knew that just a few weeks later a pandemic would change the world as we knew it – and open up new possibilities to improve and grow cycling?
My motivation to take on this role was shaped by my strong passion for cycling and the unique opportunity to work with people who share this passion to enable lasting positive change.
2. Before joining ECF, you had a varied international career. What first sparked your personal interest in cycling – and how did that evolve into professional advocacy?
As an American who liked to cycle as a child but switched to a car as soon as I got my driver’s license at age 16, I re-discovered cycling when I moved to Freiburg, Germany, first for my studies in 1989 and later for work. I appreciated the convenience and flexibility of getting around by bike, and on the weekends I loved cycling in the surrounding areas in the Black Forest and Alsace. I also experienced the joy of some great cycling holidays on EuroVelo and other routes. For me there’s no better way to explore the world than on a bike!
But how did I get into cycling advocacy? Before joining ECF I spent a few years in the automotive industry in the 1990s, followed by 20 years leading business development, marketing and communications teams in large international law firms. In those roles I learned a lot about the importance of advocacy and how a strategic and professional approach to advocacy is key to a company’s success. In that sense I felt I could bring useful knowledge and transferrable skills to the CEO role at ECF, even though a civil society advocacy NGO like ours is very different from a corporate environment.
3. Looking back on your time as CEO, which achievements are you most proud of – both for ECF and for the broader cycling movement in Europe?
I am most proud of the collaborative team effort by ECF and our partners that led to the adoption of the European Declaration on Cycling. It is the European Commission’s most ambitious initiative on cycling to date, and recognises cycling as a fully fledged mode of transport that is worthy of a strategic approach at the EU level.
The Declaration incorporates many of our longstanding policy demands, and it will help catalyse positive developments for cycling for years to come. Its implementation is already leading to a more coherent, coordinated methodology for things like standardised data collection – something that’s long been a huge challenge for advocates and policymakers alike.
Another development I am proud of is how ECF’s leadership in cycling advocacy and collaboration has changed the approach to transport decarbonisation at the global level. Our leadership in this area has been instrumental in ensuring that the transport decarbonisation agenda is no longer only about the electrification of vehicles.
At the COP26 conference in Glasgow in 2021, our energetic campaigning and mobilisation efforts led to a last-minute change to the transport declaration that recognised the role active mobility must play as an integral part of the solution. We followed up by co-founding the Partnership for Active Travel and Health in 2022, which has created many more opportunities to promote cycling and active travel’s essential role and cultivate influential champions for our cause. Cycling’s role in achieving climate goals is now more widely acknowledged and accepted by decision makers from around the world, instead of being ignored or dismissed as something crazy.
Our global advocacy work has also complemented and reinforced our core European work in helpful ways and has enabled us to engage with key decision makers in other ways that are helpful to our cause.
4. During your leadership, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a cycling boom, and we saw the adoption of the EU Cycling Declaration. How did these moments shape your approach and the direction of ECF?
I’ve always found it to be a good approach to “strike while the iron is hot” to take advantage of opportunities like those triggered by the pandemic, and I think ECF did a very good job of that during my time here. And we have also been good at using evidence based advocacy, our unparalleled expertise and sheer persistence to create opportunities to advance cycling even where there didn’t seem to be any or where they were not obvious to most people. For example, we were able to positively influence major legislation such as the EU’s flagship Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) directive in favour of more cycling, even though many people previously didn’t see where cycling fit into that.
Another approach I’ve tried to bring to this role is to keep things simple. Although we are policy experts with a lot of detailed knowledge, we shouldn’t underestimate the power of using short, punchy messages that clearly articulate our demands. Such as: “Cycling must be treated as a fully-fledged mode of transport” and “Cycling should be prioritised as a sustainable and healthy form of transport.” You know you’ve done a good job of articulating your demands when you hear policy makers adopting and promoting them as their own.
5. In what ways has the European cycling sector changed during your tenure – and were there any developments that surprised you?
The sector has become a more visible, professional and serious force to reckon with thanks to the tireless work of advocates, industry players and other champions all over Europe. Judging by the passionate and committed leaders in this sector, I think the sector will continue to go from strength to strength.
A positive development in the sector that has been happening faster than I would have predicted is in the area of gender balance and women in leadership roles. When I started in early 2020, there was just one other woman in the CEO role amongst ECF’s largest member organisations. That year ECF co-founded Women in Cycling with CIE, VeloKonzept, Mobycon and CONEBI. One of its goals was to raise awareness, give women in the sector more visibility and help pave the way for more female leaders. Today there are a lot more female CEOs leading our member organisations, including in the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden. Women in Cycling cannot claim all the credit for this, but I’m sure the visibility and awareness we have created through Women in Cycling has helped push organisations to work towards more diverse leadership structures.
6. ECF has worked closely with partners like Cycling Industries Europe and other NGOs in the sustainability sector. How would you describe the evolution of those partnerships – and what made them effective?
Good partnerships and coalitions have proven to be very valuable in advancing our advocacy aims. They bring together complementary strengths and perspectives and amplify our collective voice. I believe that partnerships like the successful one we have with CIE, or the PATH coalition we co-founded to promote active mobility, are effective for several different reasons. Firstly, they are based on shared ambitions and mutual trust. Secondly, the partners are willing to contribute their respective expertise and support and invest considerable time and effort in our joint work. And thirdly, I think we have all been good at engaging and leveraging our wider stakeholders to extend our reach and influence and to maximise the success of our initiatives. I hope these and
other partnerships ECF is involved in continue to thrive and to go from strength to strength in the coming years.
7. Is there a particular memory – from a campaign, event, or ride – that will always stay with you from your time at ECF?
Instead of singling out a particular memory, I would say that what will stay with me most are all the amazing people I have been fortunate to meet and collaborate with over the years – from ECF colleagues to our members, to industry partners and counterparts in the wider mobility sector, funders, politicians and civil servants. The list is very long. Working with like-minded people who share a passion for advancing cycling and active mobility has been the most enjoyable and rewarding part of this role. It’s been such a privilege, not to mention great fun!
8. As you move on from your role as CEO, what are you most looking forward to – professionally or personally?
My first priority is to enjoy a sabbatical which will definitely include a lot of cycling trips. I very much look forward to these adventures, as well as to the freedom to spend a lot more time with family and friends, and to do other things that I have not been able to find enough for the past few years.
I also look forward to devoting more time to my volunteer role as chair of the board of the Brussels based NGO Positive Money Europe, a research and campaigning organisation which aims to redesign our economic system for social justice and a liveable planet.
9. How would you like your time at ECF to be remembered?
I’d like my time at ECF to be remembered as a time of exciting breakthroughs for cycling that everyone at ECF and our stakeholders can be proud of, and which was made possible through the excellent cooperation of our team, our partners and allies to achieve shared goals.
10. Any final thoughts you would like to leave us with?
Although I am giving up my dream job at ECF, I’m not giving up my dream of more and better cycling for all. I’m counting on all of you to keep making it happen!
