A. O. Smith Corp, has appointed Chris Howe as senior vice president and chief digital information officer, succeeding chief information officer Melissa Scheppele.
The position expands the company’s traditional IT focus to include broader digital transformation initiatives across its global operations. CEO Steve Shafer said the title change from CIO to CDIO reflects A. O. Smith’s intent to embed digital innovation throughout the organization.
“We made the change from CIO to CDIO intentionally to reflect our focus on selecting a leader with the experience to oversee our current technology operations and the vision to drive digital innovation across the company,” Shafer said.
About the new A.O. Smith chief digital information officer
Howe will oversee technology operations and lead enterprise-wide digital strategy, data analytics, and artificial intelligence initiatives. His responsibilities include integrating digital tools into manufacturing, supply chain, and customer-facing processes while advancing the company’s use of data for operational efficiency and product innovation.
“Chris is the transformational leader we need to leverage the technologies we have invested in today and help us invest in new technologies of the future to drive greater value realization,” Shafer said.
Before joining A. O. Smith, Howe was CO and co-founder of Rise and Shift, a cloud transformation and generative AI consulting firm. Founded in 2023, the company collaborated with clients in regulated industries to streamline compliance processes and accelerate product launches. Howe also partnered with Amazon Web Services and other technology providers to deliver digital manufacturing and cloud-native solutions.
Earlier in his career, Howe spent 25 years at 3M Company, where he held several senior leadership positions, including senior vice president of business transformation and vice president of global IT applications. His work focused on enterprise modernization, cloud migration, and supply chain technology.
A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Howe served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and later in Operation Sea Angel, a humanitarian mission providing aid to Bangladesh after a major cyclone.
A.O. Smith, with headquarters in Milwaukee, manufactures residential and commercial water heating equipment, boilers, and water treatment products.
Sign up
Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 B2B News. It covers technology and business trends in the growing B2B ecommerce industry. Contact Mark Brohan, senior vice president of B2B and Market Research, at mark@digitalcommerce360.com. Follow him on Twitter @markbrohan. Follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube.
FavoriteThe post A. O. Smith appoints a chief digital information officer appeared first on Digital Commerce 360.
from Digital Commerce 360 https://ift.tt/djckO5G
0 Comments