Kevin Wheeler was named Chairman of the A. O. Smith Corporation Board of Directors on May 1, 2020. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2018—the 10th chief executive officer in the company's history. He has responsibility for the company’s global operations, as well as strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder returns.
Prior to becoming CEO, Kevin was President and Chief Operating Officer from June 2017. In this role, he was
responsible for A. O. Smith’s global water heater and boiler operations as well
as its global water treatment business.
He also oversaw the company’s global research and information technology
functions. Kevin was elected to the A. O. Smith Board of Directors in July 2017.
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
began his career in 1984 at Hoyt Water Heater Company. He also held sales management positions at
Bradford White Corporation and American Water Heater Company.
Kevin
is a member of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity & Innovation (MAPI) Division Leadership Council, Business Roundtable and the Presidents' Roundtable . He has served as an at-large director of the
Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). He is also a director
of Graco Inc. (NYSE: GGG).
He
is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno and the Advanced Management Program
at Harvard University.