Ambassador Stefano Stefanini was Diplomatic Advisor to the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano; Italian Permanent Representative at NATO; Deputy Chief of Mission at the Italian Embassy in Washington. He had previously served in New York, United Nations; Moscow; Washington; Perth, Western Australia.
Substantial expertise in Transatlantic affairs, international security, defence capabilities and industry, as well as in Western and European relations with Russia and in EU affairs. As Diplomatic Advisor from 2010 to 2013, Stefano Stefanini provided to the President of Italy analysis on international, European and security affairs and organized his international agenda, including Italy’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2011 and several official visits abroad, counting Beijing, Jerusalem, Washington, New York and all major European capitals.
Ambassador Stefanini also the Brussels Director of Project Associates, sits on the Board of Directors of the Center for American Studies in Rome, and is non-resident Senior Fellow of the Brent Scowcroft Center for International Security, Atlantic Council, Washington. He was also Vice Chairman of OTO Melara, a Finmeccanica defence Company, from 2013-2014.
Ambassador Stefanini has a law degree from the University of Pisa magna cum laude and master’s degree from the Institute for International Political Studies in Milan. He was a Lieutenant in the Alpine corps of the Italian army, and a recipient of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Ambassador Stefanini has honours from several foreign governments, including France, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Morocco and South Korea.