Jim Stern 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, governance, compliance, securities law and government relations
functions, and he spends a significant portion of his time on corporate
development and the company’s global water treatment business.
Jim joined 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. Prior to joining Foley & Lardner, Jim was an associate
with Latham & Watkins LLP of Chicago from 1989 until 1992. He also served
as a law clerk under the Honorable Pasco M. Bowman II, senior judge for the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Kansas City, MO.
Jim currently serves on the board of directors of Badger
Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI). He is the past president of the Water Quality
Association and serves on its board of governors. He also serves as chairman of
The Water Council. He previously served as a member of the board of directors
of Jason Industries, Inc., the Polar Ware Company and the National Association
of Manufacturers (NAM). He also currently serves on the charitable board for
Seton Catholic Schools.
Jim earned his BA from the University of
Notre Dame and JD from Northwestern University School of Law, and he completed
the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.