Biography
I am Pietro Pipi, born in 1973, a proud Palermitan, Venetian, a bit Scottish, Gorizian, and now more than ever, European.
The center of my personal life is 1,800 km away from the AICS Kyiv office, which I have had the honor of directing since January 2024.
I graduated from the Francesco Morosini Naval College in Venice, after which I moved to Gorizia to earn my degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences with top marks.
I began working immediately in the public sector in local and international development, further enhancing my expertise through postgraduate studies in Public Management (Bocconi University) and Decentralized Cooperation (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa). Additionally, I completed an advanced specialization course in healthcare management, earning a place on the National Register of Directors General for healthcare institutions.
Following an extraordinary experience with the Red Cross, where I held several positions including Director of the Jesolo Asylum Seekers Reception Center—a role for which I owe much to then-Director General Patrizia Ravaioli—I joined the Agency in 2018.
For six years, I directed the AICS Rural Development and Food Security Office, cherishing fond memories of the magnificent Florence headquarters and, above all, the colleagues and friends I met there.
In addition to this role, I served as interim director of the Human Resources Office, the Economic Development Office, and, most recently, the AICS Office in El Salvador.
The Kyiv office was established only a few months ago, born out of strong political will and through the efforts of Ambassador Zazo. Its mandate extends to Ukraine and Moldova, two countries united by shared geopolitical challenges and, ultimately, a journey toward European integration.
This is the first AICS office led by a senior manager, a testament to the Italian Cooperation’s profound commitment to this region of the world and, for me personally, a symbol of significant responsibility.
I have the privilege of working with a small yet highly skilled team of colleagues (“we Few, we happy Few”). Together, we focus our efforts on the Agency’s mission as outlined in Article 3 of the founding Law 125/2014. From the outset, our work has aimed to support a European vision of development, blending sustainability with dignified growth.
Currently, the portfolio of initiatives we oversee primarily focuses on first recovery, given the challenges faced by both Ukraine and Moldova.
In the context where we operate, being European means being the family that our partners look to—a family that chooses and defends freedom, democracy, and the rule of law every single day.
The place where we work is the place where our partners live, and our goal is to contribute to development while respecting local needs, culture, and traditions.
Pietro Pipi