As of 1 January 2025, Michele Morana has been the Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Office in Addis Ababa, with responsibility for Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti. An expert in international cooperation and development, he holds a degree in architecture and a degree in international cooperation, as well as a PhD in development evaluation.

Since 2002, he has worked within the Italian Cooperation system, taking on positions of increasing responsibility over the years. From 2016 to July 2021, he served as Head of the AICS Office in Amman, Jordan. During his tenure, he promoted new initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries, including the signing of a new Framework Agreement on Development Cooperation in 2019. The initiatives supported medium- and long-term development programmes, alongside emergency interventions in response to the Syrian crisis. He subsequently took over as head of the AICS Office in Khartoum, with responsibility for Sudan, Eritrea, Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic.

In this role, he placed particular emphasis on the health sector, allocating approximately 50% of available resources to health-related interventions, with a specific focus on mental health. Throughout his career, Morana has contributed to strengthening the capacity of Italian Cooperation to respond to the needs of different operational contexts, expanding staff capacity and office facilities while promoting targeted, long-term interventions.

As Head of Office, he has also supported the diversification of Italian Cooperation’s areas of intervention, including cultural heritage protection, tourism, mental health and the inclusion of persons with disabilities.