Gaetana Ferri

Born in Rieti in 1955, Gaetana Ferri earned her degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Perugia in 1979, graduating with top marks (110/110 cum laude). She went on to specialize in Inspection of Food of Animal Origin at the University “Federico II” of Naples in 1982, and in Microbiology at “La Sapienza” University of Rome in 1986.

Her training includes numerous courses and internships in veterinary public health and food safety, both in Italy and abroad, as well as a Master's degree in Health Economics and Management from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome.

Her professional career began in 1980 with veterinary work in the Lazio Region, where she assisted in state-mandated disease prevention and served as a substitute veterinary officer at the public abattoirs of Rieti and Rome. In March 1981, she entered the Ministry of Health’s Directorate-General for Veterinary Services after winning a public competition, initially focusing on animal experimentation, control of infectious animal diseases, and the protection of companion animals. In 1986, she became Acting Head of Division II – International Relations within the Directorate.

From 1987 to 1993, she served as a veterinary researcher at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Lazio and Tuscany, following another public competition. In 1993, she returned to the Ministry of Health as a Veterinary Officer, where she directed several departments dealing with infectious diseases, animal identification and registration, animal welfare, and veterinary pharmaceuticals.

In 2006, she was appointed Director General for Animal Health and Veterinary Medicines, a position she held until 2014. In this role, she developed veterinary epidemiological surveillance systems and laid the groundwork for the digital veterinary prescription system. In September 2014, she became Head of the Ministry’s Collegial Bodies Office, also serving as Secretary General of the Italian Higher Health Council until 2016. In 2017, she was Head of the Directorate for Communication and International Relations, and from 2018 until her retirement in 2020, she led the Directorate General for Food Hygiene and Safety.

Over the years, she has participated as an expert and representative of the Italian Ministry of Health in numerous national, European, and international activities and missions—most notably at the annual General Sessions of the OIE (now WOAH), chairing meetings during Italy's EU Presidency terms and, most recently, leading preparatory working groups for the 2017 G7 Health Ministerial Meeting in Milan.

She has also lectured at the University of Padua, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, and the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, and has authored and co-authored several scientific and regulatory publications in the veterinary field.

She has served as an expert and project leader in several EU Twinning projects in Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Israel, Algeria, and North Macedonia. She chaired the Accreditation Committee for Food Safety Testing Laboratories at ACCREDIA and currently represents the Ministry of Health on the Board of Directors of that same body.

On October 16, 2020, she was appointed Board Member (in a non-remunerated role) of the Board of Directors of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” by the Ministry of Health. She was reconfirmed in this role by Decree No. 17 of March 17, 2021, issued by the President of the Abruzzo Region, and has served as Board Member since March 30, 2021.