Specialising in science subjects at secondary school and then graduating in electrical engineering from the University of Trieste, Alessandro worked in a number of roles before bringing his extensive knowledge and skills to the company in 2000. Born in the very north east of Italy but now firmly settled in the South Tyrol region, Alessandro Zuliani eagerly goes through the basics of what being Ambach’s technical director involves. The days are busy with lots of different things to do. To continue to keep your position in the industry, the job involves a commitment that brings together creativity and technical expertise, ingenuity and engineering.

Devising new products and designing remarkable solutions.
Supported by his team, Zuliani is in charge of exploring new solutions and developing new Ambach products. It’s a delicate and fascinating journey as design is much more than just coming up with an idea. It also means taking that idea right through to the production stage. Designing new machines and new ways to interact with those machines, and exploring ergonomic lines and economic solutions: design moves in many different directions.

It’s more than that though. The job of the technical director also involves offering advice to sales representatives about personalised solutions. When presented with special, and increasingly varied, specifications, the technical department needs to decide how feasible these are, come up with a quote and decide how long the project will take. Ambach’s strength lies in personalised production so it’s easy to see how bespoke design plays such an important role.

The secret to a good design
“When I start on a project,” says Zuliani “I try to put myself in the customer’s shoes. I try to create what the customer would like. Of course there are technological limits and certain things we can’t do as production needs won’t allow it, but the real challenge is to find the best solution”. In addition, each project follows the design guidelines shared with the technical team: all Ambach professional equipment has to be sturdy, reliable, efficient, hygienic and easy to use, reflecting key company values.

Team work
With calculations to make and designs to create, project design isn’t a one-man job. Alessandro Zuliani is always on the go, moving from one department of the company to another.  He coordinates the technical team when it comes to project creation, he checks the test results with the internal laboratory, he constantly works with the sales division and Operations division, and is in contact with the service area so he can follow things up there if needed.

The A factor
What success factor sets Ambach apart? “The ability to offer solutions that are precisely tailored to customer specifications. Ambach doesn’t just sell products. It provides engineering and kitchen design consultation. This is true for our series productions and, even more so, for our bespoke products too. The series developed for large cruise ships are an example of this.”.

Sustainability and connectivity: the words of the future
When it comes to design, our first commitment is to being energy efficient. For some time now Ambach has been committed to engineering kitchens that reduce consumption and heat loss and develop efficient systems like thermoblocks and compound cooking surfaces. “This all stems from a commitment within our company philosophy. Considering that at the moment there is no comprehensive  European legislation for the evaluation of   energy efficiency, last year we sent some of our machines to the US to get assessed according to Energy Star criteria. The results were fantastic”.
At the moment there is no comprehensive legislation for energy efficiency assessment in Europe. Last year we sent some of our machines to the US to get assessed. And the results were fantastic”.
The other topical theme is connectivity, machines that communicate with each other to work more efficiently and to make life easier for the chef. “The Ambach way, naturally. Without any bells and whistles, just in a way that’s practical and useful”.

The greatest project
The most interesting project? “The one I’ve still to do. What I like most is to really push myself and come up with new solutions. That’s why I’ve been at Ambach for 20 years. Constant improvement is a true satisfaction!”.

ID card
Name and surname
Alessandro Zuliani
Age
50
Role
Technical director
With Ambach
20 years
Distinctive features
Eclectic