Ferdinando Nelli Feroci is the President of the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). A diplomat from 1972 to 2013, he was Permanent Representative of Italy to the European Union in Brussels (2008-13), Chief of Staff (2006-08) and Director General for European Integration (2004-06) at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, he served in New York at the United Nations, in Algiers, Paris and Beijing. He also served as Diplomatic Counsellor of the Vice President of the Italian Council of Ministers (1998).

In June 2014 Nelli Feroci was appointed as Italy's European Commissioner, replacing Antonio Tajani as Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship in the second Barroso Commission. He took office in July, and held the post position he held until Commission's mandate expired on 1 November 2014.

He later became a professor at the School of Government of the Free International University of Social Studies "Guido Carli" (LUISS) in Rome and author of numerous articles and essays on international relations, European affairs and political science.