Biographie orateur : Vice-Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte

Vice Admiral
Ferdinando SANFELICE di MONTEFORTE

Vice Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte was born in Rome on 18 May 1944. He joined the Italian Naval Academy in 1962 and graduated as Ensign in July 1966.
After several appointments as Weapons Officer and Executive Officer on board cruisers, frigates and corvettes, he served as Commanding Officer of corvette ALCIONE, and later of the frigate MAESTRALE.

In 1984 he was assigned to the Navy General Staff in Rome in the Plans and Operations Department, then from 1986 to 1989 he was assigned to the Italian Embassy in Washington as Naval Attaché and Liaison Officer to SACLANT.
In 1989 he commanded the cruiser ANDREA DORIA and in 1990 he was Chief of Staff, Second Naval Division.
Following attendance at the Joint Centre of High Defence Studies in Rome, he was promoted to Flag rank on 31 December 1992.
As Flag Officer his main appointments were: Navy General Staff as Head of Public Information Office and COMNAVSOUTH as ACOS Logistics and Administration Division and Multinational Logistic Commander CTF 440 during Operation SHARP GUARD.
From October 1996 to October 1998 he was appointed Flag Officer Second Naval Division.
In November 1998 he was appointed Chief of Staff to the CINC Italian Fleet/ COMEDCENT.
Promoted Vice Admiral on 1 January 2000 he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Staff, SHAPE on 24 January 2000.
From 01 November 2002 he was appointed as Commander Naval Forces Southern Europe and renamed since 1 July 2004 as Commander Maritime Component Command Naples (MARCOM NAPLES).
Since 11 July 2005 he has been the Italian Military Representative to the NATO and EU Military Committees.

He has been awarded the distinctions of:
- Knight Commander of the Order for Merit of Republic of Italy
- Bronze Medal for Navy merit
- Silver medal for Long Command Duty
- Silver Medal for Long Sea Duty
- NATO and WEU medals for service in the Former Yugoslavia Operations
- Officer US Legion of Merit
- Honour and Devotion Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantine Order of Saint Giorgio
- Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of Saint John
- Spanish Great Cross of Naval Merit with white cordon
- NATO Meritorious Service Medal
Publications:
- Strategy and Peace – Aracne Editrice - 2008
Vice Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte has three daughters – Ginevra, Carolina and Sofia – and one son, Giuseppe Augusto.