A. O. Smith Corporation has appointed Chris Howe as its new Chief Digital Information Officer. In this role, he will lead organization-wide digital transformation initiatives, drive digital innovation and emerging technology adoption, and oversee the company’s technology operations. The appointment reflects A. O. Smith’s intent to expand the role beyond traditional IT leadership and place greater emphasis on digital strategy and innovation.
Before joining A. O. Smith, Howe was the chief executive officer and co-founder of Rise and Shift, a cloud transformation and generative AI consulting firm. Earlier in his career, he spent 25 years at 3M, where he held several IT leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Business Transformation. His background combines enterprise-scale technology leadership with experience in cloud, AI, and large-scale operational transformation.
Why this matters: This appointment signals that A. O. Smith is treating digital transformation as a broader business mandate, not just an IT function. Bringing in a leader with a mix of enterprise transformation experience at 3M and AI-focused consulting expertise from Rise and Shift suggests the company wants to accelerate modernization while building stronger capabilities around data, automation, and emerging technologies.
