Interview with Nicola Pierdona, General Manager of Riello UPS America
Yannick Schilly: Good morning, Nicola. It’s great to see you again. How are you today?
Nicola Pierdona: I’m doing very well, thank you, Yannick. It’s a pleasure to be here and to have the opportunity to talk about Riello UPS and our activities in the U.S.
Yannick: Let’s start with your background. Can you tell us a bit about your personal journey and how it led you to Riello UPS?
Nicola: Of course. I’m originally from Italy, where I studied electrical engineering before entering the power continuity business more than 25 years ago. I began my career in the R&D department of a generator company, and after a couple of years, I transitioned into sales. Following six years in that role and another experience as a Regional Sales Manager in a home automation company, I joined the UPS industry, working for a French company for 11 years. Over time, I held various roles in sales management, business development, and international operations, working across several markets including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In 2020, I joined Riello UPS as General Manager of Riello UPS America, where my focus is on accelerating growth, strengthening partnerships, and delivering innovative energy solutions across North America.
Yannick: Congratulations on this new role and on the continued expansion of Riello UPS globally. For our viewers who might not be familiar, can you tell us who Riello UPS is and what makes the company stand out?
Nicola: Absolutely. Riello UPS is part of the Riello Elettronica Group, a family-owned Italian company with over 40 years of experience in power protection and energy conversion systems. We’re among the top five UPS manufacturers worldwide, with more than 1,000 employees, 17 subsidiaries, and a global network of distributors and service partners.
Our core mission is to ensure continuous, clean, and efficient power for critical infrastructures—whether it’s data centers, hospitals, industrial plants, or smart buildings. The majority of our systems are designed and manufactured in Italy, with an emphasis on reliability, modularity, and energy efficiency. What sets us apart is our strong R&D foundation and our commitment to developing our own firmware, hardware, and control algorithms entirely in-house.
Yannick: How is Riello positioned in the U.S. market, and what are your main priorities here?
Nicola: The U.S. is a very strategic market for us. Our operations are based in Ohio, near Cincinnati. We recently strengthened our market presence through the acquisition of Santa Fe, a company specializing in power protection systems, products, and services. This acquisition enables us to combine local expertise with Riello’s global technology platform.
Our priorities in the U.S. are to expand our service and support network thanks to our partners, develop strong partnerships with engineering firms and system integrators, and address the growing demand from sectors like data centers, healthcare, and manufacturing, all of which are seeking more resilient and sustainable power solutions.
Yannick: Energy continuity has become a top concern for industrial and digital operations alike. What trends are you seeing in power protection and backup technology?
Nicola: We’re seeing several major trends. First, data centers and AI-driven infrastructures are driving enormous demand for high-efficiency UPS systems that can handle dense power loads with minimal losses. Second, energy volatility and grid instability are creating new challenges for manufacturers, who need guaranteed uptime and clean power.
Technology-wise, there’s a strong move toward modular and scalable UPS platforms. These systems allow clients to expand capacity easily as their operations grow. We’re also integrating new semiconductor technologies, such as silicon carbide, which dramatically increase efficiency and reduce the physical footprint of our units.
Yannick: That’s fascinating. Can you give us an example of how Riello’s innovation translates into value for customers?
Nicola: Certainly. One example is our Multi Power2 series, which combine high conversion efficiency with modular design and full front-access maintenance. These systems are designed for mission-critical environments like data centers, industrial automation, and hospitals.
By optimizing both energy efficiency and space utilization, we help customers reduce operational costs and carbon footprint while ensuring uninterrupted performance. Another example is our MHT series, this is a transformer based UPS that is specifically designed to sustain special loads like in the healthcare environment.
Yannick: Looking ahead, what do you see as Riello’s long-term vision?
Nicola: Our vision is to continue being a technology leader in energy continuity—combining innovation, sustainability, and global reach. We want to help companies transition toward a more digital, electrified, and resilient energy future.
At Riello, we strongly believe that power continuity is not just a technical necessity—it’s a strategic advantage. Every second of uptime matters, whether it’s for AI applications, healthcare systems, or industrial automation. Our mission is to ensure that our clients never have to worry about losing power, no matter how complex their operations become.
Yannick: Thank you, Nicola. This has been a truly insightful discussion. Your perspective on how Riello UPS is driving innovation in energy continuity and supporting industrial resilience is inspiring. We wish you great success with your continued growth in the U.S. and globally.
Nicola: Thank you, Yannick. I really appreciate the opportunity to share our story, and I look forward to seeing how our collaboration can continue supporting the next generation of advanced manufacturing and technology.
About RIELLO UPS: Manufacturer of uninterruptible power systems and power quality solutions. Riello UPS’ approach to market is solutions based – understand customer continuity goals and configure a solution to meet these goals. The solutions typically integrate UPS, Switchgear, Battery Systems, network interfaces, software and services, all of which can be provided from the North America headquarters in West Chester Ohio.
