Richard Lizurey

Richard Lizurey is a French National Gendarmerie general. He has served as Director General (Chief of staff) since 1 September 2016.

Biography
Born 5 November 1958 in Colmar, Richard Lizurey graduated from the French military academy and the French Gendarmerie nationale Officers School.

He successively served as platoon leader in Berlin (1981), gendarmerie mobile squadron commanding officer in Troyes (1985) and gendarmerie départementale company commander in Aubagne (1991).

In 1994, he became a project manager in the office of the Gendarmerie chief of staff.

Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1997, he was posted to the French Ministry of Defence Cabinet, then became a technical advisor in the Cambodian Gendarmerie and finally a legal counselor in Kosovo.

He then served as the head of the Gendarmerie forces of the Haute-Garonne departement, based in Toulouse.

Promoted to colonel in 2002, he was the chief of the general affairs bureau in the office of the chief of staff of the French Gendarmerie.

After taking command of the Gendarmerie region of Corsica in 2007, he was promoted to brigadier-general the same year.

In 2009, he became counsellor in charge of security in the Cabinet of the French Interior ministry.

He became deputy chief of staff (with the rank of Major-General) in 2012 and was finally promoted to chief of staff in 2016 (with the rank of Army General)

Awards and decorations

 * French Parachutist Badge
 * Grand Officer Légion d'honneur (2019)
 * Officer Ordre national du Mérite (2007)
 * Médaille de la Gendarmerie nationale with bronze palm
 * Médaille de la défense nationale, bronze grade
 * Médaille de la sécurité intérieure, gold grade
 * Médaille de reconnaissance de la Nation
 * Médaille commémorative française
 * Médaille d’or de l’Administration pénitentiaire
 * NATO Medal for Kosovo
 * Grand Cross Order of Merit of the Civil Guard (2017), Spain