[caption id="attachment_615744" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Ming Cheng[/caption]
Milwaukee-based water heater manufacturer
A.O. Smith has hired
Ming Cheng as the company’s next senior president and chief technology officer.
Cheng replaces
Bob Heideman, who has been with A.O. Smith since 1994. Heideman will stay with the company through Sept. 1 to ensure a smooth transition.
Cheng, who was most recently senior vice president of research and development for the Transportation and Electronics Business Group at
3M Company, will join A. O. Smith on July 7.
Cheng has worked for 3M for the past 25 years. In his current role, he leads a global team focused on technology, product development, product engineering and application engineering.
"Ming is an experienced global R&D leader with a diverse background. I had the privilege of working with him for nearly 10 years at 3M and over that time developed a tremendous amount of respect for his leadership, business acumen and technical depth," said
Steve Shafer, CEO of A.O. Smith. "His ability to drive innovation through complex business challenges will serve us well as we continue to grow as an organization. He appreciates our strong legacy and commitment to our values and understands the important role innovation plays in delivering long-term profitable growth."
