A general arrives at the top of Fincantieri. Born in Turin in 1953, Claudio Graziano is preparing to assume the position of president of the naval mechanical group, after a long career in the armed forces. Graziano attended the Military Academy of Modena, from 1972 to 1974, and the Application School of Turin, from 1974 to 1976, where he earned a degree in Military Strategic Sciences. During his career, Graziano commanded the ‘Susa’ Alpine battalion in 1992. During his command, the battalion was deployed in Mozambique, as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, with the main task of ensuring the security of the Beira corridor (communication route between Zimbabwe and the sea), favoring and supporting humanitarian and health aid to local populations. At the end of 1993, he was designated Section Head in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff. Promoted to Colonel, in 1996, he commanded the 2nd Alpine regiment of the ‘Taurinense’ Brigade in Cuneo. Subsequently, he held the position of Chief Planning Office of the Army General Staff. In September 2001, he assumed the position of Military Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC, in the United States. He was promoted to Brigadier General on 1 January 2002. Returning to Italy, on 27 August 2004, he assumed command of the ‘Taurinense’ Alpine Brigade. From July 20, 2005, he assumed command of the ‘Kabul Multinational Brigade’ in Afghanistan and, with it, the responsibility of the Operations Area of the province of Kabul, duties performed until February 6, 2006. In this period, in addition to the duties of security and protection, he has directed numerous humanitarian initiatives in the context of reconstruction and first aid to the populations. At the end of the period of operational employment, upon returning to his homeland, he continued in the position of Commander of the ‘Taurinense’ Alpine Brigade until March 2, 2006. Promoted to Division General on January 1, 2006, he took over, from March 15 of the same year, the post of Head of Operations Department of the Joint Defense Forces Operations Command. On January 29, 2007, the Secretary General of the United Nations awarded him the position of Force Commander of the Unifil mission in Lebanon. In the following three years he therefore fulfilled a dual role in the Land of the Cedars: the purely military one of Commander of the UN Forces and the more exquisitely political-diplomatic one of Head of Mission. civil service of the United Nations in Lebanon, including the coordination of humanitarian aid and reconstruction and relief activities undertaken directly by the UN, or carried out on a bilateral basis by the various contributing countries. On 1 January 2010 he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army Corps and, from 10 February of the same year, appointed Chief of Staff of the Minister of Defense. On 14 October 2011, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army, then assuming the post on 6 December 2011. From 28 February 2015 to 5 November 2018 he was Chief of the Defense Staff. On 7 November 2017, General Graziano was appointed as President of the European Union Military Committee, a position he has held since November 2018.