A. O. Smith appoints Chris Howe as chief digital information officer

MILWAUKEE - A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS), a $10.3 billion water heating and treatment solutions company with strong financial fundamentals according to InvestingPro analysis, has appointed Chris Howe as its new senior vice president and chief digital information officer (CDIO), replacing Melissa Scheppele, the company announced Friday.

Howe, who previously served as CEO and co-founder of Rise and Shift, a cloud transformation and Generative AI consulting firm, will oversee the company’s technology operations while driving digital innovation initiatives. The appointment comes as A. O. Smith maintains a strong financial position with healthy cash flows and moderate debt levels, positioning the company well for technological investments.

The water heating and water treatment company deliberately changed the position title from CIO to CDIO to reflect an expanded focus on digital strategy. According to President and CEO Steve Shafer, the role will combine traditional CIO responsibilities with an emphasis on developing new digital strategies.

"Chris is the transformational leader we need to leverage the technologies we have invested in today and help us invest in new technologies of the future," Shafer said in a press release statement.

Prior to founding Rise and Shift in 2023, Howe spent 25 years at 3M, where he held multiple leadership positions including senior vice president of business transformation and vice president of global IT applications.

At Rise and Shift, Howe led the development of Generative AI solutions including a widget-based platform designed for regulated industries. His team also partnered with Amazon Web Services to deliver cloud transformation initiatives for global clients.

Howe is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as in humanitarian aid efforts in Bangladesh.

A. O. Smith, headquartered in Milwaukee, manufactures residential and commercial water heating equipment, boilers, and water treatment products. The company has demonstrated consistent financial strength, maintaining dividend payments for 17 consecutive years and achieving a 38.2% gross profit margin in the last twelve months. InvestingPro analysis reveals 8 additional key insights about the company’s performance and prospects, available to subscribers through comprehensive Pro Research Reports covering 1,400+ top US stocks.

In other recent news, A. O. Smith has announced changes to its executive leadership, effective October. James F. Stern will transition to Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy and Secretary, while Paul J. Jones will become Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. UBS has maintained a Neutral rating on A. O. Smith with a price target of $76, citing the company’s proactive business management amid industry challenges such as tariffs and cost inflation. Stifel, however, has reiterated its Buy rating with a price target of $89, maintaining a positive outlook. UBS also noted that while the second half of 2024 will face incremental costs, pricing and higher volumes should support margin expansion. DA Davidson has kept its Neutral rating with a $75 price target, mentioning stable demand across North American and international segments. The company’s North American operations are seeing healthy boiler demand, with recent price increases contributing to the outlook.

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