Accelerate Faculty

Alverno College has appointed Ajita G. Rajendra, president and chief executive officer of A. O. Smith Corporation, to the board of trustees.

Rajendra was named president and CEO of A. O. Smith Corporation in January 2013, where he has full profit and loss responsibility for the $2.2 billion water technology company. His primary responsibilities include strategy development and implementation, global operations, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder returns. Prior to being named chief executive, he served as president and chief operating officer, responsible for the company's water heater operations in North America, China, Europe and India, as well as A. O. Smith's water purification business in China and the Lochinvar global boiler business. Before joining A. O. Smith, Rajendra was the senior vice president of the Industrial Products Group of Kennametal Inc., a manufacturer of cutting tools used in aerospace, automotive and other industrial applications.

Rajendra began his career with Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York, holding a wide range of executive management positions, including global responsibility for Corning's Pyrex and Corning Ware businesses and retail operations.

Rajendra sits on the board of directors for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and is a member of the board of directors for Donaldson Company, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, and certification from the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business.