Paul W. Jones
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer      

Paul joined A. O. Smith in January 2004 as President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for all worldwide operations and became Chairman and CEO in January 2006. He was elected to the company's Board of Directors in December 2004.

Paul joined A. O. Smith after serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1998 until 2002 of US Can Company, Inc., of Lombard, Ill., a leading provider of containers for personal care, household, paint, and industrial products.

From 1989 until 1998, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Greenfield Industries, Inc., of Augusta, Ga., a manufacturer of cutting tools and other material-removal products. In that position, he significantly increased sales and profits and led three successful public stock offerings. During that time, the company made 17 acquisitions in North America, Europe, and Israel.

Paul began his career with General Electric Company, spending 19 years in progressively more responsible positions in the Power Systems; Plastics; Drives, Motor and Generator; and Transportation units.

Paul is a member of the Federal-Signal Corporation Board of Directors, the Bucyrus Corporation Board of Directors, a member of the Business Roundtable, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturers' Association for Productivity Improvement (MAPI). He is a graduate of the University of Evansville (Indiana) with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering.

Randall S. Bednar
Senior Vice President
Chief Information Officer

Randy has been the company's chief information officer since 2001. His role is to utilize information technology to enhance business performance, to establish and support e-business capabilities, and to coordinate IT operations.

From 1996 until 2000, he was Vice President and Chief Information Officer of The Gates Corporation, Denver, Colo. In that position, he was responsible for the strategic and tactical direction for information technology including applications, voice/data networks, infrastructure, and architecture. Before that he held a series of information technology assignments during 15 years with Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee, Wis. He was named Director of Information Technology in 1994 and also held the positions of Manager-Application Systems, Manager-Information Technology, and Manager-Data Processing (European Region).

Randy graduated summa cum laude in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis. He received an MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1988. He served in the U. S. Army from 1971 until 1973.  

Dr. Wilfried Brouwer
Senior Vice President-Asia
and President of A. O. Smith (China) Investment Company Ltd. 

Dr. Wilfried Brouwer joined A. O. Smith in March 2009 and was named Senior Vice President-Asia and President of A. O. Smith (China) Investment Co., Ltd. on June 1.  He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company’s business operations in Asia including five wholly owned manufacturing operations and one joint venture in China and a new water heater business in India.  In addition, Wilfried also oversees business development activities throughout Asia. 

Wilfried joined A. O. Smith from Akzo Nobel, a multinational manufacturer of paints, coatings, and specialty chemicals with headquarters in Amsterdam.  He held a number of positions during his 24 years with Akzo Nobel including 12 years working in China and Asia.  From 2005 until 2008, he was vice president of Akzo Nobel’s Decorative Coatings Asia Pacific business unit, where he had full profit and loss responsibility for the unit which includes six manufacturing plants throughout Asia.   Most recently, Wilfried served as executive project leader for Ningbo Projects.

Wilfried earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in chemistry from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.  He received a PhD in chemistry from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands in 1984.  In 1995, he received an MBA degree from Pace University, New York, N.Y.  

John J. Kita
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance & Controller 

As Senior Vice President-Corporate Finance & Controller, John oversees the accounting, financial planning, banking, tax, and audit functions. He was named a Senior Vice President in 2006.

John originally joined A. O. Smith as Assistant Treasurer in 1988 and was elected Vice President, Treasurer & Controller in 1996. He worked seven years for RTE Corporation in Waukesha, Wisc., a manufacturer of electrical equipment.

John received a bachelor's degree in accounting and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Wisconsin.  

Christopher L. Mapes
Executive Vice President
President of EPC 

Chris was named President of Electrical Products in September 2004 with full profit and loss responsibility for the global manufacturer of electric motors. He joined the company from Regal-Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., where he was President of Motor Sales and Marketing. In that position, he was responsible for product development, sales and marketing for Regal-Beloit's global motor business as well as the profit and loss for other operations within Regal-Beloit including its global logistics operations.

From 1990 until 2002, Chris worked at Superior Telecom, Fort Wayne, Ind., a supplier to the electrical, automotive, and electronics market. In his last assignment, he was President of the Global OEM Business Group, made up of the Superior Essex Magnet Wire, Essex Brownell, Active Industries, and Automotive Wire units. He also served as Vice President-Global OEM Products and Vice President/General Manager of Essex Group. He also held the positions of Vice President and General Manager of Essex Brownell managing the acquisitions of Brownell Electro and Active Industries for the company.

Chris began his career at General Motors Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, where he held a number of positions in manufacturing management and human resources. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Ball State University, Muncie, Ind., and received a law degree from the University of Toledo (Ohio) in 1988 and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Evanston, Ill., in 1998.  Chris is a director of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.

Terry M. Murphy
Executive Vice President
& Chief Financial Officer

Terry is responsible for all financial functions of the company including treasury, controllership, cash management, and investor relations. He joined the company in January 2006.

Before A. O. Smith, Terry spent more than six years with Quanex Corporation of Houston, Texas, a manufacturer of engineered materials and components for the automotive and building products industries. His last position was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, with responsibility for the finance, accounting, treasury, and investor relations. From 1999 until 2004, he served as Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

During his 30-year business career, Terry also served as Senior Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Barnes Group, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of precision metal components and assemblies; Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Kysor Industrial Corporation, Cadillac, Mich., a manufacturer of 8 truck components and refrigerated display cases used in the supermarket industry; and Vice President-Finance, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer of North-West Telecommunications, Inc., of La Crosse, Wis. Terry earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and an MBA from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis. He also holds a law degree from Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. and is a certified public accountant.

Mark A. Petrarca
Senior Vice President
Human Resources & Public Affairs

Mark became Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Public Affairs in 2005. He is responsible for all domestic and international human resources activities including policy and strategy development, employment, compensation, employee relations, performance management, organizational development, and succession planning. He also manages the company's public affairs function which includes internal and external communications, and community relations; he also serves as the company's official spokesman.

Mark joined A. O. Smith in June 1999 as Vice President-Human Resources for its Water Products Company, responsible for all human resources activities for the operating unit. He also was involved in the 2000 acquisition of State Industries and played a major role in integrating that business into the Water Products Company.

Prior to joining A. O. Smith, Mark worked as Director of Human Resources for Strike Weapon Systems, a division of Raytheon Systems Company, in Lewisville, Texas. He began his career in 1985 at Texas Instruments in its Defense Systems and Electronics Group in Dallas, Texas, holding positions in manufacturing and human resources.

Mark holds a bachelor of science degree in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., and a master's degree in management and administrative sciences from the University of Texas-Dallas (Richardson).

Ajita Rajendra
Executive Vice President
President of WPC 

Ajita Rajendra joined A. O. Smith as President of Water Products Company in January 2005. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of the Industrial Products Group of Kennametal Inc., Augusta, Ga.

He was associated with Kennametal Inc., a $1.8 billion manufacturer of cutting tools, since 1996. He has held the position of senior vice president of the Industrial Products Group, which manufactures cutting tools used in aerospace, automotive, and other applications, since 1998. Prior to that position, he was Vice President of the Electronics Group with operations in the U. S., Asia, and Europe.

Ajita began his career with Corning Incorporated, Corning, N.Y., in 1976, holding a wide range of financial and executive management positions including Director of the company's Retail Operations, Business Director of the Corning Cookware division, and President of the Revereware Corporation.

Ajita earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, and an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.  Ajita is a director of Donaldson Company Inc.

Steve W. Rettler
Senior Vice President
Corporate Development

Steve is responsible for overseeing the company's acquisition activities and has been involved with five domestic and four international acquisitions since joining the company in 1998. In addition to acquisitions and divestitures, Steve directs the company's strategic planning process and provides strategic planning support to the operating units.

Prior to A. O. Smith, Steve spent 12 years with W. H. Brady Co. of Milwaukee, an international manufacturer of industrial identification products. His last assignment was as Vice President and General Manager of the Brady Precision Tape unit. He was also Managing Director of Brady's Asian-Pacific Operations, Manager of International Group Administration, and Product Group Manager for the company's Industrial Products Division.

Steve received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Wisconsin.

James F. Stern
Executive Vice President
General Counsel, and Secretary

Jim joined A. O. Smith Corporation as executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary on June 1, 2007. He is responsible for overseeing the corporation's legal function as well as corporate organization and by-laws, governance and compliance, securities law, and government relations.

Jim joins the company after 15 years with Foley & Lardner LLP of Milwaukee where he was a partner, providing legal services and advice for a wide range of public and private companies. As a member of Foley & Lardner, he was named to the Best Lawyers in America 2007 ® list in the field of mergers and acquisitions law.

Prior to joining Foley & Lardner, Jim was an associate with Latham & Watkins LLP of Chicago, Ill., from 1989 until 1992. He also served as a law clerk under Pasco M.Bowman, II, senior judge for the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Kansas City, Mo.

He serves on the board of the Fleck Foundation, a Milwaukee-based charitable organization that focuses on inner city schools and transitional housing, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, an all-girl Catholic school, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.