Fernando Sanchez Amillategui

Born in Madrid, 1962 – my family combines Andalusian and Basque origins, and was just coming back to Spain after more than ten years in Argentine. I am the third of four kids.
I attended school and high school at the Ramiro de Maeztu Institute (1968-1980); then followed through to the Polytechnic University, Madrid, where I graduated in Civil Engineering in 1986. I also spent some years (1982-1985) at the Universidad Complutense studying Mathematics.

The first stretch of my professional background includes the building & engineering industry, management consultancy, audit, quality management and training, working for Spanish, Italian and French companies, and also on my own (1986-1998). During this period I have been based in Bilbao, Madrid and Torino.

The second phase has been mainly centered around academy, doing teaching & research (Universidad de Alicante, Spain, 1998-2004), although I kept in touch with the building & engineering industry, and with consultancy. Around this period I also returned to the University as a student (Politècnica de Catalunya), where I worked towards a PhD in Civil Engineering, obtained with a dissertation on technical standards. My main hub of activity was Alicante.

The third phase, starting in 2004 till now, has brought me to the European Institutions. There I have worked on two main areas: as an internal auditor, in the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and as a staff representative. I have been based in Brussels.

Along all my career, volunteer work has occupied a significant space, and delivered an even more significant 'personal growth and satisfaction' return on investment. Most of it has developed along three main branches: contribution to social & political movements; participation in cultural associations; and involvement in the field of gay & lesbian rights. No matter what specific issue was I dealing with, I have always enjoyed both the practical, concrete work with people, groups, lavoro di base, and the analysis, reflection, documentation, communication side of it. Practice has enriched thought, thought has enriched practice.

All present and future endeavors would certainly seem much poorer, much grayer, much drier, without the close support of my really inner circle: husband, family, friends and four-legged little bros', fratelli minori.