Marco Venanzetti was born in Rome, Italy on 31 August 1962. He joined the Italian Air Force (ItAF) in September 1982. He attended the Italian Air Force Academy from which he graduated in March 1986. He entered Undergraduate Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, USA where he graduated in June 1987. He was then assigned to the 9th Fighter Interceptor Squadron flying the F-104S Starfighter. After four years of operational flying, Marco was selected for the Italian Air Force Flight Test Center and, on May 1992, was assigned to the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, from where he graduated Experimental Test Pilot in June 1993. Returning to Italy, Marco was assigned to the Eurofighter Test Team of the Italian Air Force where he worked till September 1997.

Marco flew the Eurofighter as military Test Pilot from October 1996 until April 1997. In September 1997 Marco was recalled to the operational world as Squadron Commander of the 101 Operational Conversion Unit flying the AMX and AMX-T. During this period he took part in the Bosnia campaign flying the AMX in the Close Air Support role.

Marco left active service in September 1998 to join Alenia Aeronautica as Experimental Test Pilot where, beside the Eurofighter, he was involved in all Company fighter programs like TORNADO and AMX. In November 2006 he has been appointed Chief Test Pilot and in December 2008 Director of Flight Operations. In July 2010 he was appointed Senior Vice President Flight Operations & Training.

At the end of his operational activity as Test Pilot, Marco flown more than 6000 hours and has been pilot in command in more than 95 different types of aircraft and helicopters.

In January 2016 Marco left Finmeccanica and in August 2016 moved to Prague to join AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE as Executive Vice President L39NG. In April 2020 Marco returned to Italy and was called to Mirai Industries as General Manager. In April 2021 He joined Northrop Grumman Italia as Responsible for Business Development & Advanced Concepts.

Marco has a BS in Aeronautics and a Master in Political Science. In 1999 was awarded the honor of Knight of the Republic by President of the Italian Republic Mr. Ciampi and he is Fellow Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilot.