Biography
I am Pietro Pipi, born in 1973, from Palermo, Venice, a bit Scottish, Gorizian, and now more than ever, European.
The center of my affections is 1,800 km away from the AICS office in Kyiv, which I have the honor of directing since January 2024.
I completed my classical high school education at the Francesco Morosini Naval College and moved from Venice to Gorizia to graduate in International and Diplomatic Sciences with top honors.
I immediately started working in the public sector in local and international development and strengthened my knowledge with postgraduate studies in public management (Bocconi) and decentralized cooperation (Sant’Anna of Pisa). I attended and completed an advanced specialization course in healthcare management, which allowed me to join the National List of General Directors of healthcare facilities.
After an extraordinary experience with the Red Cross, where, among other roles, I directed the Jesolo Asylum Seeker Reception Center, thanks to the then-General Director Patrizia Ravaioli, to whom I owe much, I joined the Agency in 2018.
For six years, I directed the AICS Rural Development-Food Security office, which I still head, albeit on an interim basis. I greatly miss the magnificent Florence office, but most of all, my colleagues and friends. I also served as interim director for the Human Resources Office, the Economic Development Office, and most recently, the AICS office in El Salvador.
The Kyiv office was established just a few months ago due to strong political will and the commitment of Ambassador Zazo. This office’s scope includes Ukraine and Moldova, countries united by various geopolitical aspects and, not least, their path towards joining Europe. It is the first AICS office to have a managerial leadership; this underscores the utmost attention of Italian Cooperation towards this area of the world and, personally, represents a significant responsibility.
I am fortunate to work with a small but highly competent group of colleagues (we Few, we happy Few). We center our actions on the Agency’s mission as outlined in Article 3 of the founding law 125/2014. From the outset, our commitment has been towards a European development perspective, striving to integrate the concept of sustainability with that of dignified growth.
In the context where we operate, being European means being the welcoming family for our partners who choose and defend freedom, democracy, and the rule of law every day.
Currently, the initiatives we follow are predominantly in the first recovery phase, given the situations in both Ukraine and Moldova.
The place where we work is where our partners live, and our goal is to contribute to development while respecting local culture and traditions.
Pietro Pipi