Stephen Shafer was named president and chief operating officer of A. O. Smith Corporation on March 18, 2024. He is responsible for the company’s global business operations, including operations, engineering and IT.
Prior to becoming president and COO, Steve was president of the Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division for 3M Company from August 2020. After joining 3M Company in 2010, he held several positions with increasing levels of responsibility in multiple 3M business units. From October 2016, he served as president of Greater China Area and managing director of 3M China. He returned to the U.S. in 2019 to serve as senior vice president and chief strategy officer with responsibility for leading strategy, business development, marketing and sales globally for 3M. Previous to 3M, Steve was a consultant at McKinsey & Company advising industrial businesses on strategy and operational improvement and held a number of operational roles at Ford Motor Company and NASA.
Steve is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of WorkBoard Inc. He previously served as a board member of Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce and as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.