David Brakenwagen
Senior Vice President, President and General Manager - Leonard Valve
David Brakenwagen was named senior vice president of A. O. Smith Corporation and president and general manager of the Leonard Valve business unit in February 2026. In this role, David has profit and loss responsibility for the water management technology business unit and its Leonard Valve and Heat-Timer brands.
David previously served as chief executive officer of Leonard Valve, which was acquired by A. O. Smith in January 2026. He joined Leonard Valve in 2020.
Prior to Leonard Valve, he was chief executive officer of Gener8, a manufacturer of complex instruments and products for the life sciences and medical device market. Before that, he was president and chief sales and marketing officer at NEOTech, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), design engineering and supply chain solutions in the high-tech industrial, medical device, and aerospace/defense markets. Previously, David held various operational, engineering, and commercial leadership roles at Flex, Solectron and ABB.
David is a member of the Rhode Island CEO Council and participates in various industry associations including American Society of Plumbing Engineers (APSE) and American Supply Association (ASA). David earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Western New England University.