Giordano Piccinotti was born on 23 February 1975 in Manerbio, Italy. He made his novitiate in Pinerolo between 1997 and 1998, making his first vows on 8 September 1998. On 12 September 2004 he made his Perpetual Profession in the Salesian Society of St John Bosco and on 17 June 2006 he received his Priestly Ordination. He holds a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome (Italy).
He was Economer of the Salesian houses in Lugano, from 2007 to 2011 and from 2016 to 2017; and San Carlo in Milan, from 2011 to 2015; and he also held the role of Economer at the provincial level, in the period from 2011-2017.
He has been Director of the "Fondazione Opera Don Bosco nel Mondo" in Lugano, Switzerland; Procurator of the "Fondazione Istituto Helvetico Opera Don Bosco in Lugano"; Executive Director of the "Fondazione Opera Don Bosco onlus" in Milan, Italy; Member of the Board of the "Stiftung Don Bosco in Der Welt" in Schaan, Liechtenstein; Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the "Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo" (VIS) NGO.