The program, founded by RMIT Forward's Director Dr Peter Thomas and delivered by RMIT Europe and EIT Urban Mobility, aims to address a gap in public-sector professional development.
The six-month program combines executive coaching, peer-led learning circles, closed-door sessions with senior leaders and a final conference, equipping participants with the practical tools and confidence needed to drive meaningful change in their cities.
Cohorts are kept intentionally small to foster personalised learning and strong bonds of trust, offering participants opportunities to reflect on the type of leaders they aspire to be while developing practical leadership skills.
The program has already run two editions and has brought together participants nominated by city councils and public entities from Budapest, Milan, Barcelona, Malta, Munich, Croydon, Tallin, Las Rozas, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Hammersmith & Fulham and Dublin.
The Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan’s Technical Officer Julia Azpiroz de Achával, an alum of the first cohort, said that the program gave her the confidence to step up and lead more proactively.
“The coaching gave me practical tools to work on challenges and offered a rare moment to pause and reflect on where I was as a professional, where I wanted to go and what tools I had,” she said.
The program plants the seeds for leadership by providing a wide variety of tools for public-sector leaders to explore, from new ways of leading to fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders.
Participating in the recent second cohort launched in June 2025, the Innovation Manager at the Mobility Lab in Vitoria-Gasteiz Leire Balzategui was eager to bring her insight into the program to share with other participants.
“In our work, we often lead without direct authority – bringing together diverse actors and navigating complex systems,” she said.
“This program gives us space to reflect, learn from peers and strengthen the mindset needed to lead collaboratively”.
A key feature of the program is its community of practice.
Through learning circles and regular exchanges, participants build a lasting network, share experiences and continue collaborating as alumni through mentoring, monthly calls and connection to the wider EIT Urban Mobility ecosystem.
RMIT Europe’s Sustainability Leadership Program Manager Carola Vega, who oversees the Emerging Leaders program, said that empowering these leaders meant that we were investing in the future of urban mobility.
“Participants also value being part of the wider EIT Urban Mobility ecosystem, which connects them to a broader network of urban mobility leaders across both the public and private sectors,” she said.
Looking ahead, the Emerging Leaders program’s next cohort will begin in October 2025.
European city councils and public entities are invited to nominate an emerging leader from their team.
Read the full article on EIT’s website.
