Milwaukee-based A.O. Smith Corp. announced Dr. Ilham Kadri will join its board of directors, filling a vacancy created by a resignation in April.
Kadri is a senior vice president at North Carolina-based Sealed Air Corp. and will be chief executive officer of Diversey Care when it is spun off into a separate publicly traded company. She is currently president of the Diversey Care division at Sealed Air.
Kadri replaces Mathias Sandoval on the board. Sandoval, an advisor at oil and energy investment firm Grupo Terra, announced his resignation from the board in April.
In announcing her appointment, the company noted Kadri’s involvement in efforts to mentor young women and promote female leadership in science, engineering and business.
“Ilham has lived in 13 locations around the world and brings a world of experience to our board, which is critical since A. O. Smith continues to expand globally,” said Ajita Rajendra, A.O. Smith chairman and chief executive officer. “Her experience with developing women professionals will also augment our own recently launched Women’s Resource Network at A. O. Smith.”
Kadri joined Sealed Air in 2013 from Dow Chemical. She held executive leadership roles in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions at Dow. She is a chemical engineer and has a master’s degree in physics and chemistry and a doctorate in reactive extrusion from the University of Stasbourg, France.
Her 20 year business career includes roles in business leadership, strategic planning, sales, marketing, product management, mergers and acquisitions, and research and development.
“We look forward to adding Ilham’s international business perspective, her mergers and acquisitions experience, and her passion for sustainability and the water industry to enhance the vast array of expertise on the A. O. Smith board,” Rajendra said.
