In 1984, he founded the "Studio Cerri & Associati" design studio with Alessandro Colombo. Their work focuses on industrial design, product design, interior architecture and naval architecture. The studio has worked for many international companies, including Agusta, Azimut-Benetti, B&B Italia, Fincantieri, IBM, Intesa Sanpaolo, Lancia, Luxottica, Pirelli, Telecom Italia and Yamaha.
Pierluigi Cerri has also taught industrial design at Milan Polytechnic and has been invited to lecture at numerous universities and institutions worldwide. He received numerous awards for his design projects, including the "Compasso d'Oro" prize in 2008 for the design of the Azimut Grande 105 yacht.
He died in Milan on April 28, 2017, leaving behind him an important legacy in the field of industrial design and naval architecture.