Gaetano Armao graduated with honors from University of Palermo, specializing then in financial intermediation jurisprudence at the University of Ferrara. He attended the European community and internal public law doctorate at the University of Palermo. He started his academic path being assistant professor of administrative law and visiting scholar in some international institutes.

He is a fellow member of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London. Being a Court of Cassation attorney, he has been an expert consultant for the European Council and consultant for national and regional governments end for the Parliamentary Antimafia Commission. He was vice chairman of Massimo Theatre Foundation of Palermo from 2002 to 2005, regional ministry of Cultural Heritage in 2010 and regional ministry of Economy and Treasury for the Sicilian Government up till 2012. Since 2010 he has been the President of Sicilian Unesco Commission and of Sicilian Open Government association.