Ajita G. Rajendra is a director of Donaldson Company, serving since 2010, and chairs the Human Resources Committee. He retired from A. O. Smith Corporation, a global water technology company and manufacturer of residential and commercial water heating equipment, in 2020.
At A. O. Smith, Rajendra was Executive Chairman from 2018 to 2020; President from 2011 to 2018, Chief Executive Officer from 2013 to 2018 and Chairman from 2014 to 2018. He held positions of increasing responsibility at A. O. Smith from 2005 to 2013, including Executive Vice President from 2006 to 2011 and Chief Operating Officer from 2011 to 2013. He brings public company leadership expertise and manufacturing experience across consumer durables, industrial products and appliances, including insight on leading global businesses and negotiating acquisitions and joint ventures.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Rajendra received a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India and an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.