Brigadier General Paolo Sandri

Pinerolo Mechanised Brigade Commander, Medium Forces –Digitalised Brigade Italian Army

General Paolo Sandri was commissioned into Alpini Corps in 1995, after having attended the Military Academy from 1991 to 1993 and the Infantry Branch School from 1993 to 1995. His early career was dominated by service with the 7th Alpini Regiment and 14th Alpini Regiment; during these posts, he completed three operational tours in Bosnia and one in Kosovo. He also had the opportunity to serve in Ethiopia and Eritrea as Military Observer for the United Nations in 2002.

After attending the Junior Army Staff Course in 2004, he spent two years in Planning Division of the Army General Staff as Project Officer in the field of Stabilization Operations, CIMIC and PSYOPS, and for the design of the Future Infantry structure.

In 2007 he was selected as CJO ADC; in this role he had the chance to gain experience at the operational level, visiting major operational crisis areas, including Iraq and Afghanistan .

In 2008 he was appointed as UNIFIL Force Commander and Head of Mission ADC in Lebanon, where he spent two years, gaining a sound knowledge of Middle East politics and UN peacekeeping dynamics. In 2010 he was appointed as Acting SO1 and Military Assistant to the Chief of the Cabinet of the Defence SofS before being selected to attend the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC 14) in Shrivenham (UK).

In August 2011, Lt Col Sandri was appointed as Italian Liaison Officer to the British Army Headquarters in Andover and to the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) in Shrivenham (UK). 

In September 2013, he was appointed as CO of the ‘Susa' Battalion, in Pinerolo. During his tenure as Susa CO, he spent an operational tour as Deputy Commander of “Val Susa Task Group”, deployed in a homeland security operation focused in protecting sites of national strategic interest. From October 2014 until November 2018 he served first as SO1 Coord to Chief of the Army and then as Executive Assistant to the Italian Chief of Defence.

From November 2018 until October 2020 General Sandri commanded the 9th Alpini Regiment. During his tenure he had the opportunity to serve two tours as OP STRADE SICURE Task Force Commander in Rome and to coordinate Army support to population and local institutions in Abruzzo region during COVID 19 emergency.

From October 2020 until July 2022, General Sandri was appointed as Head of Force Development/Innovation Office of the Italian Army General Staff.

On 8th July 2022 General Sandri took command of the “PINEROLO” Mechanised Brigade. His academic achievements include a BA in Political Sciences and a MA in Strategic Studies from the University of Turin and a MA in Defence Studies from King's College London.

His interests include sports, both as an active and as ‘armchair' practitioner, reading and whatever you can do in the mountain.

He is fluent in English and he has basic knowledge of Spanish.

General Sandri is married to Emma , a Geography and Sociology teacher, and has two children, Rebecca Mary Rose, eight years old and Rupert Barnaby Nicodemo, five years old.