DIRECTOR

Colonel (ITA Army) Francesco PACILLO

In the course of his career, Colonel Francesco Pacillo has gained a wide range of experience across the institutional, operational, and inter-service spectrum. He has developed his leadership and command skills together with a profound knowledge of the Signal Corp of the Army and a genuine inter-service spirit thanks to his active role over the last 18 years in the Operations and C4ISTAR Department at Defence General Staff.

Command Assignments: Commander of Company for 4 years, Commander of detached and stand-alone Signal Battalion for 2 years, Commander of Signal Training Regiment for 2 years, Commander of Signal Regiment for 1 year providing C4I support to UN and NATO operations.

In 2011, served as a staff officer at UNIFIL HQ (J6) in South Lebanon.

Defence General Staff – Department of C4I Systems and Transformation:  Served as a Staff Officer at CIS branch, the Security Requirement Section head, and the IT Branch Head and national expert within the NATO PKI Advisory Group (NPAG).

From 2018 to 2022 posted at the NATO Strategic Command (ACT) in Norfolk (USA), Col. Pacillo was responsible for the establishment and the NATO accreditation of new Centre of Excellence (COE),  the NATO COEs coordination, and the Military integration of new NATO Member Nations (Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Finland, Sweden).

He is married to Lucia and has a son, Vito, and a daughter, Martina.

SUMMARY OF NATIONAL COMMAND ASSIGNMENTS

–  1990-1998: Platoon and Company Commander in Signal Battalion in support of the 5th Army Corp in Udine;

–  2007-2009: Commander of Signal Battalion “Abetone” in Florence;

–  2012-2014: Commander of Signal Training Regiment in Rome;

–  2014-2016: Commander of Signal Regiment (232) in Avellino.

SUMMARY OF STAFF POSTS IN THE ITALIAN ARMY

–  1998-1999: G6 Officer of the 1st Command Of Defence Forces in Vittorio Veneto;

–  2009-2011: Army General Staff- CIS Branch – Section head (Roma).

SUMMARY OF JOINT SERVICE ASSIGNMENTS

–  1999-2003: Defence General Staff – C4I Dep. and Transformation -C2 Office – Staff Officer – (Rome);

–  2004-2006: Defence General Staff – C4I Dep. and Transformation – CIS Office – Staff Officer – (Rome);

–  2006-2007: Defence General Staff – C4I Dep. and Transformation – Security Office – Section head (Rome);

–  2016-2018: Defence General Staff – C4I Dep. and Transformation – IT Branch – Branch head (Rome).

SUMMARY OF INTERNATIONAL AND OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

–  2011: J6 staff officer at the UNIFIL HQ, Naqoura (Lebanon);

–  2018-2022: ACT/JFD – Centre of Excellence Program Development Branch Head, Norfolk (USA);

–  2022: NATO Modelling and Simulation COE Director, Rome (Italy).

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

–  1985-87, He completed the 167th course of the Accademia Militare in Modena, and Army and inter-service advanced staff courses (1998 and 2003);

–  Degree in Computer Science – University of Turin;

–  Degree in Strategic Sciences – University of Turin;

–  Degree in International politics and diplomatic relations – University of Trieste;

–  Master degree for Strategic and International Studies – University of LUISS (Rome);

–  Master degree for Strategic Science – University of Turin.

PUBBLICATIONS

“Il problema del Digital Divide: l’approccio delle Difesa”, Informazioni Difesa n. 2/2007;

“La protezione del patrimonio informativo”, Rivista Militare n.2/2011.