Roberto Bertazzoni, the patron of Smeg and de La Pavoni espresso machines, died at the age of 81. The funeral was held at the Cathedral of Guastalla (Reggio Emilia), the city where he was born on 10 December 1942: he leaves his wife Maria Rita Gandolfi and his son Vittorio, now at the helm of Smeg, which has about 2,600 employees and generates a turnover of over 900 million Euros. Bertazzoni served on the boards of Mediobanca, RCS Media Group and Unicredit. Under her guidance, based on an entrepreneurial formula that has combined the attention to quality, innovation, technology and product style management, Smeg has recorded over the years a trend of constant economic development. 

Bertazzoni led the Smeg-Smalterie metallurgiche emiliane Guastalla, founded by his father Vittorio in 1948, to become a multinational in the field of household appliances. In 2019 it acquired the historic manufacturer of espresso machines La Pavoni which today has its headquarters in San Giuliano Milanese (Milan). In 1993 he was nominated Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Republic Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. Bertazzoni immediately after graduating in Economics and commerce, at the beginning of the 70s of the last century he entered the family business and then took on the positions of president and ceo.

To the important results achieved in the household appliances sector, the company has combined, consolidating, a significant industrial and commercial dimension also in sectors such as catering and electromedical.