Carlos Fernando Galan Pachón was born in Bogota on June 4, 1977. He is the husband of Carolina; father of Julieta, 10 years old, and Juan Pablo, 4 years old; and son of Luis Carlos Galan Sarmiento and Gloria Pachón de Galan.
He studied Foreign Service with an emphasis on International Economics at Georgetown University, continued his training at the Externado University of Colombia, where he specialized in Government, Management and Public Affairs. In addition, he pursued postgraduate studies in International Affairs at Columbia University and completed a Master's in Public Administration at New York University.