Brigadier General Poli was born in Imola (BO), Italy, on January 24, 1966. He is married to Doctor Letizia Palladini and they have five children.
He enlisted in the Italian Army in 1985 as a Private. He attended the Military Academy from 1985 to 1987 and he was commissioned as an Infantry 2nd Lieutenant on September 1st, 1987. He attended the Officers School from 1987 to 1989 and the Armor School in 1989. He was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant on September 1st, 1989, in the Armor Branch. He served as a Tank Platoon Leader from 1990 to 1992 and as a Tank Company Commander from 1992 to 1993. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on September 1st, 1993. He served at the Military Academy as a Cadet Company Commander from 1995 to 1997. He attended the Staff College and he then served a tour of duty in the NATO Mission in Bosnia Herzegovina. He was moved to the Expeditionary Forces Headquarters, Planning Office, and then to the Army Staff, Planning Department. He was promoted to the rank of Major on September 1st, 1999. He attended the Joint Staff College. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel on September 1st, 2003. In 2004, he took command of a Tank Battalion and he commanded a Battle Group in the NATO Mission in Kosovo. In 2005, he was moved to the Defense Staff, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel on June 22nd, 2009. He attended the United States Army War College, Class of 2010. Back to Italy, he took command of a Cavalry Regiment and he commanded a Task Force in the UN Mission in Lebanon. In 2012, he was moved to the Land Operational Forces Headquarters, taking responsibility of the General and Financial Planning Department. In 2013, he took command of the Cadet Regiment at the Military Academy. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on July 1st, 2015, taking command of the Cavalry School and the post of General Inspector of the Armor Branch. He was moved to the Army Staff, where he served from 2017 to 2022, as Deputy of the General Affairs Department and then as Chief of the Public Affairs General Office. He currently serves at the Officers School.