Unox, global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of professional ovens has announced two significant senior management changes within the business, with immediate effect.
As of Monday 19 November 2025, Unox had announced the appointment of Marco Smania (pictured, right) as the director of sales for Western and Northern Europe, including the UK and Ireland, taking over from Matteo Ravagnan (pictured, left). Ravagnan, who will move into the managing director role of the newly acquired, Roboqbo Srl, over a transitional period before completing the move in January 2026.
As managing director of Roboqbo, Matteo will guide the company through the next phase of growth, strengthening collaboration between Unox’s R&D teams and Roboqbo’s robotics expertise to develop integrated solutions aimed at both back-of-house and production environments.
Driving force
Taking over his role is previous director of sales – Western Europe, Unox S.p.A, Smania who this year celebrates his 10th year with Unox, having worked across multiple different global regions in the decade spanning his career with the company. Since 2015, he has been the driving force behind significant growth in Western Europe, and now looks to continue this into Northern Europe, helping each region to further drive its presence in each country’s unique markets.
Nicola Michelon, CEO – UNOX S.p.A., is thrilled to announce these structural changes to the global team: “Firstly, we would like to extend our congratulations and our thanks to Matteo, for his exceptional leadership during his time at Unox. Over the last 15 years, he has executed huge growth within Northern Europe and the UK, and now is the right time demonstrate our thanks for his commitment to the business in the form of his new role as managing director at Roboqbo, which we recently acquired,” he says.
“As is clear to see, Unox is now at an exciting point in its company evolution, and our key focus is how we grow our business, our teams and most importantly, how we continue to innovate so that we can offer advanced cooking technology that is one step ahead of individual country market trends. The team we choose to build and lead our strategies across the globe is hugely important, and Marco has played an essential role in this evolution of Unox’s sales over the past 10 years, who will now take over from Matteo in continuing this strategy,” he adds.
“We would like to congratulate both Marco on his appointment of Northern and Western Europe sales director, and Matteo for his exceptional leadership, which he now takes with him to Roboqbo as managing director. This is a vital role in a very early stage of completed acquisition, and we entrust Matteo to bring with him an Unox passion for business development and growth in a brand new category in the professional sector. I would like to pass on my gratitude to them both for their hard work and dedication, and I wish them every success in their new roles,” says Michelon.
Alongside this development, Unox has confirmed that a new managing director for the UK has been appointed and will begin their role in January. As a matter of respect for their current business, further information will be released in 2026.
For more information about the acquisition or to find out about the wider Unox equipment or Roboqb portfolio, please visit unox.com.
About UNOX:
Founded in Padua in 1990, UNOX achieved consolidated revenues of €330 million in 2024 and has delivered steady year-on-year growth. The company designs, manufactures and markets commercial ovens for the foodservice, retail, pastry and bakery sectors, developing intelligent, sustainability-focused technologies that support professionals and businesses in achieving consistent success.
Headquartered in Cadoneghe (Padua, Italy), with in-house manufacturing and corporate offices, UNOX is the global market leader in units sold and in ENERGY STAR®-certified commercial ovens.
The company operates directly in 44 countries and distributes products in more than 110 nations. Its team includes over 1,422 people, with more than 800 based outside Italy. A specialised group of 135 experts, including physicists and mechanical, chemical and aerospace engineers; drives R&D to develop applied intelligence and cooking technologies that support greater efficiency, repeatability and sustainability. More than 770 professionals provide global customer support through consultancy, process optimisation and technical service.
Data Driven Cooking (DDC), powered by IoT and AI, collects and analyses data from connected ovens to provide insights and personalised guidance, helping customers maximise the value of UNOX technology.
About Roboqbo:
Founded in 1978, Roboqbo is a benchmark in the design and manufacture of automation systems for food and cosmetics processing. The company generated €17 million in revenues in 2024 and employs around 120 people. Based in Bentivoglio (Bologna, Italy), in the heart of the country’s Food Valley, Roboqbo is internationally recognised for its engineering excellence.
Its all-in-one solutions streamline and optimise production workflows, significantly reducing processing times. For more than 40 years, the company has consistently invested in R&D to bring cutting-edge technologies, traditionally found only in large-scale industrial plants, into the foodservice and HORECA sectors.
