Business
A. O. Smith Announces Kevin Wheeler to Become Executive Chairman, Stephen Shafer Named President and Chief Executive Officer
The A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) Board of Directors today announced that Kevin Wheeler will transition from chairman and chief executive officer to executive chairman of the corporation, effective July 1, 2025. At that time, Stephen Shafer will be appointed to the Board of Directors and will assume the role of president and chief executive officer.
About this update from A.o. Smith Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"MILWAUKEE, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) Board of Directors today announced that Kevin Wheeler will transition from chairman and chief executive officer to executive chairman of the corporation, effective July 1, 2025. At that time, Stephen Shafer will be appointed to the Board of Directors and will assume the role of president and chief executive officer.","length":404,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Kevin Wheeler","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Kevin Wheeler","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":400,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/79b8e68e91deb1bce8f16b713f6edf5d"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/0EDYc9wluZ.mGjtoGNe9Aw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTcwNTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/79b8e68e91deb1bce8f16b713f6edf5d","width":400,"height":400}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2672977/Kevin_Wheeler_FINAL_Retouched__11_24.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"As executive chairman, Wheeler will continue to lead the company's Board of Directors and remain actively involved in strategic development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and executive talent development.","length":223,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Shafer becomes the 11th chief executive officer in the company's 151-year history. He will have responsibility for the company's global operations, as well as strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder return. Shafer joined A. O. Smith as president and chief operating officer in March 2024 to lead the company's global business units, including operations, supply chain, corporate technology and information technology.","length":460,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Steve's broad business experience, coupled with his strategic business acumen, uniquely positions him to guide A. O. Smith as the company continues its journey as a global water technology leader," said Wheeler. "For the past year, Steve has collaborated closely with me and other business leaders to understand our business and identify opportunities to drive enhanced performance and continued growth in both sales and profitability."","length":461,"tagName":"...