Mr. Shafer became president and chief executive officer of A. O. Smith on July 1, 2025 and was named chairman effective July 1, 2026, having joined the company as president and chief operating officer in March 2024 to lead its global business units, including operations, supply chain, corporate technology and information technology. As chief executive officer he has responsibility for the company's global operations, strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder return.
Before joining A. O. Smith he spent over a decade at 3M Company, most recently as president of its Automotive and Aerospace Solutions Division from August 2020, and earlier as senior vice president and chief strategy officer and as president of 3M's Greater China Area and managing director of 3M China. Before 3M he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company and held operational roles at Ford Motor Company and NASA. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.