Roberto Montella assumed his duties as Secretary General on 1 January 2016 following his election at the 2015 Annual Session.

He was re-elected by the Standing Committee in 2019 for a second five-year mandate starting 1 January 2021. At the 2024 Annual Session in Bucharest, the Standing Committee re-elected him for another five-year term, with his new mandate set to begin on 1 January 2026.He previously served in the International Secretariat as Director of Presidential Administration.

Montella has held positions at OSCE field missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia and Montenegro, fulfilling a range of advisory, peace-building and management functions. He also served as Head of the OSCE South Serbia Regional Office and Head of the European Center for Minority Issues in Kosovo.

Montella has taken part in dozens of election observation missions in the OSCE area and the Middle East, including as Co-ordinator of Long Term Election Observers for The Carter Center. He has served as political advisor to an Italian senator and PACE Vice-President, among other advisory roles. He also holds campaign-related and corporate experience.

In addition to his native Italian and French, Montella is fluent in English and Serbian.

The Secretary General holds general responsibility for managing the affairs of the Assembly; ensuring the efficiency of the Secretariat and overseeing its Copenhagen and Vienna offices; and carrying out the decisions of the Bureau, the Standing Committee and the Assembly. He reports to the President, the Bureau and the Standing Committee at the Assembly’s Annual Sessions and in other meetings. In addition: Roberto Montella:

- Appoints and directs the staff of the Secretariat and works with the Treasurer to prepare and administer the budget of the Assembly;

- Holds responsibility for the management of the Assembly's financial resources;

- Represents the Assembly at various official meetings of the OSCE and other meetings and functions as appropriate;

- Maintains regular contact with members of the Bureau, Heads and Secretaries of Delegations, and officials from other OSCE Institutions;

- Communicates on a regular basis with the Secretaries General of other interparliamentary bodies.

Montella's written reports to the Assembly's Standing Committee, videos of these presentations, as well as selected speeches and interviews with media outlets, are available below.