Mr. Pezzini, an Italian national, joined the OECD in 1995 as Principal Administrator in charge of the work on Distressed Urban Areas. From 1996 to 1999 he was the Head of the OECD Rural Development Programme. From 1999 to 2006, he was Head of the Regional Competitiveness and Governance Division in the Public Governance and Territorial Directorate, promoting regional development, regional policy effectiveness and multi-level governance. Since February 2007, he has been Deputy Director of the Public Governance and Territorial Directorate. For more visit www.oecd.org.