Castelguelfo di Noceto. Credit: Wikipedia, Di Parma1983 – Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59874036
Lorenzo Rovagnati, CEO of the renowned Italian cured meats company Rovagnati, has died in a helicopter crash.
The accident occurred on Wednesday evening (February 5) on the grounds of his family’s medieval castle in Castelguelfo di Noceto, near Parma, Italy. Both pilots on board also sadly lost their lives.
The 41-year-old businessman was travelling from Milan, a journey he made reportedly weekly to visit the estate. However, the Agusta Westland AW109 crashed just before 7pm in thick fog, according to reports by Metro and Fox News.
Rovagnati’s legacy in the Italian food industry
Rovagnati, one of Italy’s top salami moguls, was leading the company founded by his grandfather, Angelo Ferruccio Rovagnati, after World War II. Originally a cheese and butter business, the company shifted its focus to cured meats in the 1960s, becoming a major producer of prosciutto, salami, and mortadella.
Under Lorenzo’s leadership, the company expanded internationally, opening its first overseas production plant in Vineland, New Jersey. Today, Rovagnati generates an annual turnover of approximately €292 million and employs over 1,000 people.
In 2017, the Rovagnati family also acquired luxury brand Pineider, later launching a boutique off Saville Row in London in 2023.
Tributes pour in for the late CEO Lorenzo Rovagnati
The Mayor of Biassono, Luciano Casiraghi, expressed deep sorrow at the news. “Lorenzo was a good, honest and hardworking young man, loved and valued by all who knew him in the company and beyond,” as reported by Metro. “His loss is hard for all of us to accept; a young man who still had a great future ahead of him, as a father and as an entrepreneur.”
Rovagnati leaves behind his pregnant wife, Federica Sironi, and their two children. The town of Biassono declared a mourning period from February 6-8 in his memory.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the tragic helicopter crash, but early reports suggest poor weather conditions played a role. Video footage from the scene shows heavy fog surrounding the area at the time of impact.
View all news in Italy.
View all articles by Letara Draghia.
