The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has inducted Paolo Bertazzoni, CEO of Bertazzoni, into its Kitchen & Bath Industry Hall of Fame class of 2025.
Paolo, who represents the fifth-generation of Bertazzoni leaders, was awarded this achievement during the 2025 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards Ceremony hosted at the Wynn Hotel on 24th February 2025.
For more than 30 years, the NKBA’s Hall of Fame has honored individuals who embody the spirit of the kitchen and bath industry while contributing to its growth. Paolo earned the honor for successfully stewarding the family-run brand since 1978, and as CEO from 1999 through today. Paolo is among the few Europeans inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I am filled with gratitude and pride while accepting this prestigious lifetime achievement award,” said Paolo Bertazzoni, CEO of Bertazzoni S.p.A. “As the oldest family-owned appliance company in the world, our business is personal – and we have always maintained a commitment to communities and people, with an unwavering dedication to quality and innovation along the way. I am deeply thankful for my family, colleagues, and industry peers who continue to teach and inspire me and the NKBA Hall of Fame committee for this remarkable honor.”
As CEO of Bertazzoni, Paolo led the brand’s expansion into the US market, bringing a uniquely Italian design to the appliance category for the first time. Under Paolo’s leadership, Bertazzoni transformed the look of the high-end appliance market, resulting in Bertazzoni’s eye-catching models becoming an iconic kitchen design statement and paving the way for unique colors and finishes adoption across the industry.
Today, the company is a full-line kitchen brand with a comprehensive range of kitchen appliances, including cooking ranges, ovens, cooktops, hoods, and refrigerators. Paolo was an early advocate for induction cooking, and has led a 10-year push to launch induction products for the US market in a meaningful way after seeing the widespread adoption for this technology in Italy and throughout Europe. With this push, the brand has achieved the most Induction SKUs in its category, helping to eliminate barriers of size or layout for designers and homeowners looking to select the most energy-efficient appliances.
“It is an honor to welcome Paolo Bertazzoni into the Kitchen & Bath Industry Hall of Fame. This distinction is reserved for visionaries who have profoundly shaped our industry, and Paolo’s leadership exemplifies that legacy. By carrying forward Bertazzoni’s rich heritage while expanding its global footprint, he has infused kitchens around the world with the brand’s signature Italian craftsmanship, innovation, and design excellence. His contributions were further recognized in 2024 when he was awarded the esteemed title of Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of Italy—one of the nation’s highest honors for business and manufacturing excellence.” – Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO, NKBA | KBIS
In addition to his North American leadership, Paolo was awarded the prestigious knighthood title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of Business & Manufacturing; equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the USA) by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella in 2024 and is currently a member of the Council for Italy-United States Relations, a non-profit focused on improving business ties between the U.S. and Italy. From 2016 to 2021, he served as a member of the General Council of Unidustria Reggio Emilia – a regional association representing 1,000 manufacturing and service companies in the province.
Born in 1955, Paolo Bertazzoni represents the fifth generation of company leadership and has actively cultivated the sixth generation of leadership, bringing his sons Nicola Bertazzoni, COO, and Federico Bertazzoni, Business Development, and daughter Valentina Bertazzoni, Head of Design & Brand, into the family business.
