Ugo is an agronomist for the Economic Security (Relief) Department at International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Ugo started working as an agronomist with the European Commission in Ukraine and Bosnia in 1998. Since 1999 he has worked within the International Movement of the Red Cross (Italian Red Cross, Red Cross EU office, IFRC, and ICRC), as an agronomist and a relief coordinator in more than 25 countries. He collaborated as a lecturer on humanitarian matters with the University of Padua and ISPI (Istituto per gli studi di Politica Internazionale) in Milan.

Ugo holds an advanced degree from the University of Florence in tropical and sub-tropical agriculture. He wrote his thesis in collaboration with the Brazilian University of Cearà on the improvement of milk production in North East Brazil.