Airy Magnien, born in 1957, graduated in engineering sciences and physics.

After a brief but significant stay with the French Cavalry, he joined the railway world in 1984, first with SNCF (French National Railways), then SYSTRA (railway consultancy).

Initially managing rolling stock maintenance, then purchasing and design, he progressively extended his activities to electromechanical engineering for high speed rail projects in Korea and Taiwan.

His experience in these areas led to assignments with SNCF’s Strategy Department, then with the European Railway Agency as the head of the Economic Evaluation Unit.

He joined the UIC in order to reinforce economic evaluation as a tool for project orientation and decision-making aids, in a railway environment that is traditionally dominated by technical excellence.