Kevin J. Wheeler
Retired Executive Chairman
Kevin Wheeler joined the A. O. Smith Board of Directors in July 2017.
Kevin served as executive chairman of the A. O. Smith Corporation Board of Directors from 2025 until his retirement in 2026. He led the company’s Board of Directors and was involved in strategic development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and executive talent development.
Kevin previously served as chairman from 2020 and president and chief executive officer from 2018 to 2025. He was responsible for the company’s global business, as well as strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder returns. He was president and chief operating officer from 2017 to 2018. He was responsible for A. O. Smith’s global water heater and boiler operations, global water treatment business and oversaw the company’s global research and information technology functions.
Kevin joined A. O. Smith in 1994 as a regional sales manager for the former Water Products Company. In 1999, he was named managing director of A. O. Smith Water Products Company B.V., headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. In that role, he was responsible for the company’s water heater business in Europe and the Middle East. He returned to the U.S. in 2004 to serve as vice president-international with responsibility for all European and Asian operations. During this time, the company expanded its business in China and began evaluation of the India residential water heater market.
In 2007, Kevin was named senior vice president and general manager of the U.S. retail business for the Water Products Company. In that position, he oversaw all aspects of the U.S. retail business including sales, marketing, manufacturing, product engineering and customer service. In 2011, he was named senior vice president and general manager of A. O. Smith’s largest operating unit – the North America, India and Europe water heating business – and became president of that business in 2013.
Kevin is a director of Graco Inc. (NYSE: GGG).