Mercedes is MSc Civil Engineer, specialised in transport planning, and Master’s degree in environmental and quality management systems. She has more than 20 years’ international experience in the development of transport infrastructures, primarily in the railway sector. She has headed high-level programmes and projects in the fields of strategy, planning, sustainable finance and technical assistance. Before joining the UIC, she worked at Adif (the Spanish Railway Infrastructure Manager) as programme manager in the strategic department and as technical advisor in the President´s office. Previously she worked in the European Investment Bank (EIB) as transport engineer specialised in rail, road and urban mobility and in transport consultancy firms.