A personal tribute from Marco Guerritore, editor-in-chief of Italian Fasteners Magazine, on the death of Sergio Pirovano who passed away on 30th January 2021.
A popular saying that is sometimes used to reveal a person’s state of mind in the face of adversity is ‘hope is the last to die’. With that in mind all of us, admirers and friends, had hoped until the very last moment for a positive resolution to Sergio Pirovano’s health, but unfortunately it never came, which meant on 30th January 2021, Sergio Pirovano – president of UPIVEB – left us with a sense of emptiness and infinite sadness. All we are left with is despair and regret.
Yet, Sergio fought the disease with incredible fortitude and faith in a recovery. He showed the courage of a lion. In the most difficult moments, he revealed the best of himself, his true personality and great depth.
Sergio did not always have an easy character, he was complicated, but the best part of his personality was always evident, such as his unquestionable loyalty, his great sensitivity and involvement in social issues and, above all, his immeasurable generosity.
Sergio loved his job deeply. He was very committed to promoting fasteners and particularly the value of Italian quality in the industrial world. He was tireless in maintaining contacts, promoting meetings, stimulating debates, all aimed at the technical and economic progress of the fastener.
As a member of the board, he actively participated in EIFI meetings and activities.
As president of UPIVEB, he promoted and implemented countless initiatives. To list them all would be impossible, so we will only mention the most significant – such as the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of UPIVEB, which was held on 10th June 2011 at the legendary Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy, under his expert guidance. The anniversary ceremony consisted of a rich and interesting cultural programme that also included entertainment. The highlight was a conference attended by distinguished speakers from the political, financial and industrial worlds.
Another noteworthy initiative was the organisation of ‘Meetaly’ the first international conference on screws and bolts, which was held in Milan during the Expo 2015. More than 500 delegates from countries around the world attended the event with great interest. It was a huge success, which justifiably rewarded the commitment and organisational skills of Sergio Pirovano.
However, perhaps Sergio’s greatest achievement as president of UPIVEB was that, after overcoming a number of difficulties and demonstrating great diplomatic skill, he succeeded in amending the UPIVEB Articles of Association to extend the membership to include the supply chain, i.e to allow all those companies and organisations that operate within the sector to become members of UPIVEB, such as manufacturers of bolt making machines, steelworks, wire drawing mills, heat treatment companies and so on.
He was a great president who will surely be missed by many friends and admirers from Italy and around the world.
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe.
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned.
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