Speaker Bio

Paolo Gentiloni served as European Commissioner for Economy from 2019 to 2024.
In December 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed him Co-Chair of
the Group of Experts to Promote Policy Solutions for Resolving the Debt Crisis. He is
also a nonresident Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Previously, he served as Prime Minister of Italy (2016–2018), Minister of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation (2014–2016), and Minister of Communications
(2006–2008).
From 2001 to 2019, Gentiloni was a member of the Italian Parliament, where he
served as Chairman of the Broadcasting Services Watchdog Committee (2005–2006)
and as a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (2013–2014).
Earlier in his career, he worked as a professional journalist and served as a Councillor
for the City of Rome (1993–2000).
He was also one of the 45 founding members of the Democratic Party (Partito
Democratico – PD) and led the party as its President from 2018 to 2019.
Born in 1954, he graduated in Political Science from La Sapienza University in Rome.
His most recent book is La sfida impopulista (The (Un)populist Challenge, Rizzoli).