1959

Born in Talcahuano Naval Base in 1959, Vice Admiral Cristián de la Maza attended primary and secondary school in the city of Viña del Mar, after which he entered the Naval Academy Arturo Prat. He was commissioned as Sub-lieutenant in January 1979.

He is a Naval Electronic Engineer (1985), a General Staff Officer (1994) and a Military Professor of Naval Operations (2000). In addition, he is a graduate from the Royal Navy Principal Warfare Officer course, HMS Dryad (1990); the Royal Navy Staff Officer course, Royal Naval College Greenwich (1994); and the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander Flag Course, USN Pacific Fleet (2009). He also owns a diploma in Strategic Management from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (2008).

Throughout his more than 15 years of seagoing experience, he has served onboard torpedo boat Tegualda, Almirante class destroyer Williams, County class destroyers Blanco and Cochrane, and was part of the Fleet Staff. He has commanded three warships: missile boat Angamos in 1997-1998; Leander class frigate Almirante Lynch in 2001-2002; and the type 22 frigate Almirante Williams in 2005. He held his last assignment afloat as Rear Admiral, Commander in Chief of the Chilean Surface Fleet in 2010.

While ashore, he has filled positions in the Electronics Department, Weapons Directorate; as Professor, Chilean Naval War College; as Deputy Head, Chilean Naval Mission in London; as Head of the Planning Department, Navy General Staff; and as Executive Assistant to the Commander in Chief of the Chilean Navy. In 2009, holding a flag officer rank, he took on the position of Director for Units Refurbishment of the Navy and, in 2011, he was appointed Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone.
On 1 January 2012, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and currently serves as Director General of Logistics.

Vice Admiral de la Maza and his wife, Marcela Bengoa, have seven children, the youngest being 5 and the eldest 22.