CNI-Centro Nacional de Inteligencia

Brief Biography of the Secretary of State-Director

SECRETARY OF STATE DIRECTOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE
ARMY GENERAL (R)
FÉLIX SANZ ROLDÁN

Army General Félix Sanz Roldán, born in Uclés (Cuenca) on 20 January 1945, was appointed Secretary of State-Director of the National Intelligence Centre by the Spanish Government (Royal Decree 1091/2009 of 3 July).

Professional career

• He entered the Military Academy in September 1962, and was commissioned as Artillery Lieutenant in July 1966. He occupied several posts such as Battery Commander, Staff officer, and Deputy Military Attaché at the Embassy of Spain in Washington. Subsequently, he was assigned to the Planning Division of the Army Staff.
• After being at the helm of the 12 Self Propelled Artillery Group of the Armoured Division, he was assigned as Second in Command to the Spanish Military Mission to the Supreme Allied Command Europe (SACEUR). After being promoted to the rank of Colonel, in July 1997 he joined the Defence Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, heading the NATO / European Union Branch.
• After being promoted to Brigadier General, he was appointed Deputy Director General for Plans and International Relations of the Ministry of Defence. He had previously taken part in the team that drafted the Spain - Atlantic Alliance coordination agreements. He has played an active part in the establishment of bilateral relations on defence matters between the Kingdom of Spain and more than twenty countries in Eastern Europe, the Maghreb and Latin-America.
• In May 2004, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and held the post of Director General for Defence Policy.
• In June 2004, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff (JEMAD) and was promoted to the rank of Army General. The National Defence Directive, the National Defence Act and the Professional Soldiers and Sailors Act were passed while he was at the helm of the Defence Staff.
• After four years as JEMAD, on 1 August 2008, he was appointed High Representative for the EU Spanish Presidency for European Defence Policy, directly under the Prime Minister, with the rank of Secretary of State. Between 2004 and 2008, he was Member by right of the Council of State.
• On 3 July 2009, he was appointed Secretary of State – Director of the National Intelligence Centre.

Courses

He has taken many national and international higher courses and High Studies, among which it is worth mentioning the following:

• Specialist in HAWK Missiles, Missile School, Restone Arsenal, Alabama (USA).
• Army Staff, Madrid.
• Advanced Artillery Course, Fort Sill Artillery School, Oklahoma (USA).
• NATO Defence College (NADEFCOL), Rome.
• International studies at the Instituto de Cuestiones Internacionales y Política Exterior (INCIPE) (Institute for International Affairs and Foreign Policy), Madrid.
• High Resource Management and Administration by the Centro Superior de Estudios de la Defensa Nacional (CESEDEN) (Higher Centre for National Defence Studies), Madrid.

Decorations

He has been granted many national and international military and academic awards and decorations, among them:

• Grand Cross of Saint Hermenegildo.
• Cross of Military, Naval and Aeronautic Merit.
• Cross of Merit of the Civil Guard and the National Police.
• Army Service Merit Medal and Legion of Merit (United States of America).
• Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur (France).
• Grand Cordon Wissam Al Askari (Morocco).
• Grand Cross of the Order of Gedyminas (Lithuania).
• Order of Military Merit (Nicaragua).
• Military Cross (Bulgaria).
• Gold Medal by Castilla-La Mancha.
• Spanish Honour Cross of the Order of San Raimundo de Peñafort.

Other awards

• Degree Honoris Causa by the “Alfonso X El Sabio” University of Madrid. He is the first General of the Spanish Army to be given this high academic award.
• Honorary Guardia Civil.