Every chapter in YOURS’ journey has been shaped by the people who believe in its mission, challenge its thinking and champion youth leadership.
After ten years as Chair of the Supervisory Board, Dr Adnan Hyder is stepping down, alongside Shanthi Ameratunga, who concludes seven years of service. As YOURS celebrates their contributions and welcomes Dr Jagnoor Jagnoor as the new Chair, this moment offers an opportunity to reflect on the people and ideas that have shaped the organisation.
With the YOURS Strategy 2026–2030 now underway, their legacy remains an important part of the foundation on which the organisation will continue to build, keeping young people at the heart of its vision for safer, more sustainable and inclusive mobility.
A decade of leadership, curiosity and change
During his ten years as Chair, Dr Adnan Hyder has accompanied YOURS through significant growth and through a period in which the global conversation around road safety has also evolved. In his reflections, he describes a field that has gradually moved beyond focusing only on crashes to recognising the wider social, economic, cultural, political and commercial factors that shape road safety. He also points to the growing importance of better data, innovation and new technologies.
But throughout that evolution, one idea has remained particularly important to him: the value of young people questioning the way things have always been done. Reflecting on his decade with YOURS and what he hopes comes next, Adnan said:
“Over a decade of supporting YOURS, I am most proud of how the first (Floor) and second (Raquel) EDs have led the organisation. Both EDs have demonstrated the talent, maturity, and engagement of younger leaders and the importance of their taking charge, especially in a mission that is about youth. We need a constant curiosity, questioning of norms and standards, and testing of existing policies and practices, and the best group to present such challenges is young people.”
That belief in younger leadership also shapes his hopes for the future. Dr Adnan sees an opportunity for YOURS to keep looking beyond traditional boundaries of road safety, connecting its work with environmental sustainability, health, safer mobility and the broader factors that influence young people’s lives.
Seven years of championing youth leadership
During her seven years on the Supervisory Board, Shanthi Ameratunga has witnessed YOURS grow in scale and influence, alongside an important shift in how young people are recognised across the road safety movement: not simply as beneficiaries of policies, but as leaders shaping solutions.
Reflecting on this evolution, Shanthi shared: “One of the most significant changes I have seen is the growing recognition that young people are not just beneficiaries of road safety policies, but essential partners in designing and implementing solutions. They bring a unique combination of lived experience, innovation, relentless optimism, and an acute sense of urgency to efforts. This is priceless.”
This belief also shapes her hopes for YOURS’ next chapter: that young people continue to be recognised as “indispensable leaders of today”, with meaningful roles in the spaces where decisions are made.
As she concludes her time on the Board, Shanthi’s reflections extend beyond youth leadership to the people who make it possible. With “Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou”, warmest greetings and thanks in te reo Māori, the Indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand, she expressed her gratitude to fellow Board members, partners, funders and organisations supporting YOURS.
Her final words were dedicated to Raquel, the YOURS team and youth champions working across the globe: “Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui!” Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.
Building on the foundation
The leadership of Adnan and Shanthi has helped shape YOURS into the organisation it is today. As Dr Jagnoor Jagnoor takes on the role of Chair of the Supervisory Board, she brings extensive international experience in public health, injury prevention and research that translates into meaningful change.
Her work spans Australia, Africa and Asia, with a particular focus on understanding how injuries disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and developing solutions that respond to their needs. Through her research, Jagnoor has explored road safety, injury prevention, rehabilitation and health systems, working closely with communities, governments and researchers to translate evidence into practical interventions and public policies.
This combination of scientific expertise, commitment to equity and experience connecting research with action brings an important perspective to YOURS. As the organisation advances its 2026–2030 Strategy, Jagnoor’s experience will contribute to its vision of safer, more sustainable and inclusive mobility, with young people meaningfully involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Reflecting on her new role, Jagnoor shared:
“YOURS has been shaped by remarkable vision and leadership from Adnan Hyder and Shanthi. I’m honoured to take on the role of Chair of the Supervisory Board and to help build on that foundation, keeping young people at the heart of the road safety movement and empowering the next generation to lead.”
As YOURS looks ahead, the contributions of Adnan and Shanthi will continue to shape its journey. Their legacy lives on through the organisation they helped build and the young leaders whose voices they have championed.
Thank you, Dr Adnan Hyder and Shanthi Ameratunga, for your leadership, commitment and contributions to YOURS. And welcome, Dr Jagnoor Jagnoor, as we continue this journey together.
