Mariangela Zappia is the Italian Ambassador to the United States of America. A career diplomat with over thirty-five years of experience, she is the first woman in her country to hold this position, as she was the first woman Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). She was also the first woman Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Prime Minister and G7/G20 Sherpa.

Additionally, Ambassador Zappia has served as Head of the European Union Delegation to the UN and other International Organizations, and Ministry Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN and other International Organizations, both in Geneva, Switzerland. She has also served as First Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Italy to the UN in New York in the early 2000s and First Counsellor at the Italian Embassy in Brussels throughout the late 1990s.

She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Florence, as well as a post-graduate degree in Diplomatic and International Relations from the same. She has followed periodic high-level training courses on diplomatic practice and management at the Diplomatic Academy of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome.

She has published works on reforming the UN Security Council and on Italy’s contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, and is a regular speaker at international conferences regarding Italian foreign policy, multilateral and global issues.

She is an active member of the International Gender Champions Network aimed at promoting gender parity and women’s participation in decision-making. In 2019, she was awarded with the “Mela d’Oro” (Golden Apple) by the “Fondazione Marisa Bellisario” in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of women in public institutions.

She has been awarded the decoration of “Commendatore” (Commander) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. She speaks fluent English and French,  and has a good knowledge of Spanish. She’s the mother of Claire, 28, and Christian, 24.