A. O. Smith Hires Chris Howe as New Chief Digital Information Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

A. O. Smith (NYSE: AOS) on October 3, 2025 named Chris Howe senior vice president and chief digital information officer (CDIO), replacing Melissa Scheppele as CIO. Howe joins from Rise and Shift, a cloud transformation and Generative AI consulting firm he co-founded in 2023, where he commercialized a GenAI widget platform and led cloud-native solutions with AWS and global partners.

At A. O. Smith, Howe will retain traditional CIO responsibilities while driving digital innovation, organization-wide digital transformation, AI and advanced analytics adoption, and fostering a digital culture. Howe previously spent 25 years at 3M in IT and business transformation roles and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS), a leader in water heating and water treatment, has hired Chris Howe as the company's new senior vice president and chief digital information officer (CDIO) to replace Melissa Scheppele, chief information officer (CIO). Howe was most recently the chief executive officer and co-founder of Rise and Shift, a boutique cloud transformation and Generative AI consulting firm. Prior to starting Rise and Shift, he worked at 3M in multiple leadership roles.

Howe will oversee current technology operations while driving digital innovation across the company.

"We made the change from CIO to CDIO intentionally to reflect our focus of selecting a leader with the experience to oversee our current technology operations and the vision to drive digital innovation across the company," said President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Shafer.

This role will encompass all traditional CIO responsibilities while emphasizing the development of new digital strategies to support the business. As CDIO, Howe will lead organization-wide digital transformation initiatives, drive digital innovation and emerging technology adoption, and implement advanced data analytics and AI capabilities, while fostering digital culture and organizational change.

"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," said Shafer.

Since starting Rise and Shift in 2023, Howe and his team have been at the forefront of Generative AI solutions, commercializing a new widget-based, GenAI platform to reduce compliance burden and time-to-market in regulated industries and partnering with clients to deliver Agentic AI transformation solutions. Through strong collaboration with Amazon Web Services and global technology partners, Howe and team have delivered on numerous cloud transformation initiatives with targeted clients across the globe, including a cloud-native digital manufacturing solution for a global food company. Before that, he worked at 3M for 25 years, most recently as senior vice president of business transformation, vice president of global IT applications and director of global supply chain IT applications.

Howe is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, serving in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as Operation "Sea Angel," bringing critical humanitarian aid to Bangladesh following a devastating cyclone that struck the southeastern coast of the country.

About A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith Corporation, with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment and air purification products. For more information, visit www.aosmith.com.

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SOURCE A. O. Smith Corporation

FAQ

Who is Chris Howe and what role did AOS name him to on October 3, 2025?

AOS appointed Chris Howe as senior vice president and chief digital information officer (CDIO) on October 3, 2025.

What experience does Chris Howe bring to A. O. Smith (AOS)?

Howe co-founded Rise and Shift (Generative AI and cloud consulting), led cloud projects with AWS, and held 25 years of IT leadership at 3M.

How will Chris Howe's CDIO role at AOS differ from the previous CIO role?

The CDIO role retains traditional CIO duties and adds a primary focus on digital transformation, AI, advanced analytics, and digital culture.

Does the AOS press release state any financial guidance or capital actions tied to the Howe hire?

No. The press release does not disclose financial guidance, capital actions, or quantified financial impacts.

When did Chris Howe found Rise and Shift and what solutions did it commercialize?

Howe founded Rise and Shift in 2023 and commercialized a widget-based Generative AI platform to reduce compliance burden in regulated industries.

Who is replacing Melissa Scheppele at A. O. Smith (AOS)?

Chris Howe was hired to replace Melissa Scheppele, moving into the company's senior VP and CDIO role.