Rail & Mobility Leadership · Middle East & Africa

David Cannafoglia

I build rail businesses and take mega-programmes from bid to operation. Executive Director, Middle East & Africa at Deutsche Bahn.

Haramain High Speed Rail · Riyadh Metro · Etihad Rail · Metrolinx GO Expansion

Discuss a programme LinkedIn ↗
Portrait of David Cannafoglia
25+years in rail and mobility
€8.5BHaramain High Speed Rail – DB scope directed
€2.5BRiyadh Metro order secured
150+managers and experts led today
3continents: GCC, Europe, Americas
About

From bid to operation.

I have spent 25 years taking rail programmes from bid to operation – and building the businesses that win them.

Today I lead Deutsche Bahn in the Middle East and Africa. I hold the regional P&L, lead 150+ managers and experts, and direct DB's scope on the Al Haramain High Speed Rail: project management, design review and site supervision of infrastructure, systems and rolling stock.

I work with the region's main decision-makers:

PIFRoyal Commission for Riyadh CityRoyal Commission for Makkah CityQiddiyaSaudi Arabia RailwaysQatar RailEtihad RailRTA DubaiEgyptian National Railways
Set up and grow

Boards bring me in to establish a new business in a new market and scale it.

Stabilise and deliver

Clients bring me in to stabilise a critical programme and take it through to handover.

Selected programmes

Rail programmes I have led or won

Saudi Arabia · Deutsche Bahn €8.5B

Al Haramain High Speed Rail

Direct DB's scope: project management, design review and site supervision of infrastructure, systems and rolling stock delivered by international contractors.

Saudi Arabia · FS Italian Railways €2.5B

Riyadh Metro

Secured the operations order and led operational readiness with the Flow Consortium partners Hitachi Rail and Alstom, from final construction into first operations.

Canada · Aecon €9.0B

Metrolinx GO Expansion

Senior bid member on the winning team. Also led bids worth €7B+, including the Broadway Line (Vancouver) and Sound Transit Federal Way.

Experience

Career

  1. Jun 2022 – today
    Riyadh

    Executive Director, Middle East & Africa

    Deutsche Bahn
    • Direct DB's scope on the €8.5B Al Haramain High Speed Rail.
    • Hold the regional P&L, with stable double-digit growth in revenue and EBIT.
    • Lead 150+ managers and technical experts across regional and European offices.
    • DB's chief representative in the region; Executive Director and General Manager of the local entities.
  2. Sep 2019 – May 2022
    Riyadh

    Senior Vice President, Middle East & North Africa · CEO, FS Italian Railways Saudi Arabia

    Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane
    • Secured the €2.5B Riyadh Metro order and led its operation and maintenance readiness.
    • Delivered a €1.0B tender plan and doubled revenue in the first two years.
    • Managed relations with PIF, SAR and other key stakeholders.
  3. Jun 2018 – Aug 2019
    Toronto

    Managing Director, Rail & Urban Transit – North America

    Aecon Group
    • Launched the Rail and Urban Transit business across the U.S. and Canada.
    • Senior bid member on the €9.0B Metrolinx GO Expansion win; led bids worth €7B+.
    • Supervised Finch West LRT, Eglinton Crosstown LRT and REM Montreal.
  4. Sep 2014 – May 2018
    Bologna

    Vice President, Rail Signalling – South Europe

    Alstom
    • Full P&L for the systems and signalling portfolio, with 800 professionals across bid, project, engineering, installation, testing and commissioning.
    • Board member of Alstom's Italian and Swiss entities; supported the Alstom–GE Transportation integration.
  5. Earlier

    Systems programme delivery

    Hitachi Rail
    • Delivered the Etihad Rail Stage 1 systems programme.
Expertise

Where I add value

High-speed rail
Metro and LRT
Railway systems and signalling
Operations readiness
PMC and site supervision
Tender strategy and bid leadership
P&L and business development
GCC and MENA markets
MBASDA Bocconi
PMP · PMI-RMPProject Management Institute
Licensed EngineerOrdine degli Ingegneri, Rome

Languages: English, Italian (native), Spanish.

Contact

Planning a rail or metro programme in the GCC?

If you want to discuss delivery, operations readiness or tender strategy, send me a message.

Email me Message on LinkedIn ↗