Ambassador Sorin Dumitru Ducaru will take on his new function as SatCen Director in June 2019. He was selected by the SatCen Board, consisting of representatives of all EU Member States, and subsequently appointed by High Representative Federica Mogherini for this position.

Ambassador Ducaru is a Romanian career diplomat with a longstanding experience in trans-Atlantic and International Relations and a particular expertise in the field of emerging security challenges and the impact of new technologies upon security. Ambassador Ducaru’s professional background reflects a quite rare blend of technical and political studies. Holding degrees in Applied Electronics & Computer Studies (BS, Bucharest Polytechnic University), Political Science & International Relations (M.Phil, University of Amsterdam) and International Economic Relations and Institutional Management (Ph.D, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest). He has been intensely engaged intellectually and professionally bridging the technology-policy gap and the impact of technology upon security.

Ambassador Ducaru held the post of NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges from September 2013 to November 2017. In this capacity he was the head of the Emerging Security Challenges Division at NATO-HQ, Chair of the Cyber Defence Committee and also coordinator and manager NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme. As Chair of NATO’s Cyber Defence Committee and Cyber Defence Management Board, he has been in charge of NATO’s cyber policy development and implementation.

Sorin Ducaru held three ambassadorial positions on behalf of Romanian, namely at the UN in New York, in Washington DC and at NATO in Brussels. He also assumed various positions in the Romanian MFA, such as: counsellor to the Minister, spokesman of the MFA, Director of the Minister’s Office and Director for NATO and Strategic Issues. He has been also involved in academic and scientific activity as guest lecturer at the NATO Defence College, Rome; Oxford University, UK; Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA; Leiden University, NL and as associate professor at the Romanian National University for Political Studies and Public Administration. He has also been a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, USA, chair of the Scientific Board of the NEW Strategy Centre, Romania and a Special Advisor to the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. In the year 2008 Ambassador Ducaru was awarded the rank of Knight of the National Order “The Star of Romania”.