Vice Admiral Aurelio De Carolis graduated from the Italian Naval Academy in 1986. He is the Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet (CINCNAV) since 17 December 2021 and previously served for two years as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy. As a surface warfare officer, he was embarked on board cruisers and frigates, deploying in NATO, EU and coalition operations. He commanded the patrol vessel SPICA, the frigate ESPERO, the aircraft carrier CAVOUR, the Italian Amphibious Force and the Second Naval Division. In this last position, from 2017 to 2019, he was dual hatted as Commander Italian Maritime Force (COMITMARFOR) for the NATO Response Forces and Commander of the Italian Carrier Strike Group. His primary shore duties include naval military assistant to the President of the Italian Republic, Chief Communications Officer at the Italian Defence General Staff, Head of the Amphibious Department and Head of the Plans and Policy Department at the Italian Navy General Staff. He holds a Master’s in Physics and International Studies, a BS in Maritime and Naval Sciences and a full-time MBA from the London Business School (class of 2000).