In memory of Piero Zanoni

Tributes pour in for the founder of Inter Ser and one of the pioneers of the ceramic industry, who has died suddenly.

Piero Zanoni passed away on 31 May at the age of 80. A visionary entrepreneur, he was one of the best known figures in the ceramic industry for more than half a century and the driving force behind Inter Ser since 1996 alongside his sons Gian Luca and Paolo.

Piero Zanoni began his career in 1966 at Monter (Montedison group) in Novara, first as a kiln testing technician for the ceramic industry in Italy and abroad, then until 1978 as sales manager for the Sassuolo area and Eastern European countries. After working as the South America Area Manager for Sacmi, in 1980 he became a managing partner of Intercer in Milan and continued to work alongside customers in Latin America. In 1996, he founded Inter Ser together with his two sons Gian Luca and Paolo, who have been running the company for the past decade. He always maintained close connections with South America and had a special fondness for Argentina and Colombia, where he was one of the first to promote Italian technology and continued to work with customers, who in the meantime had also become great friends. A gentleman, a talented entrepreneur and a loving father, Piero Zanoni handled the company’s generational succession without difficulty.

“He was always willing to give advice but never forced his ideas on us,” recall his sons Paolo and Gian Luca. “He always trusted us and left us to make important decisions within the company from the earliest years. He was our guide and role model, both in our private lives and at work, passing on values such as professionalism, reliability, honesty and resourcefulness, which he put into practice on a daily basis.”

A lover of bridge and a big fan of Torino Football Club, Piero Zanoni was passionate about his work and deeply devoted to his family – his wife Maura, his children Sandra, Annalisa, Gian Luca and Paolo, and his granddaughters Violante, Virginia, Margherita and Caterina.

Our editorial team offer their heartfelt condolences to his family and colleagues.