Howard Schmidt

Howard Schmidt is the Executive Vice President of the College and also serves a Director of the Economics & Business Analytics Program. Howard has over 35 years of experience in industry with over 20 years in Executive roles within various divisions of Lennox International Inc. He has both domestic and international business experience and brings a unique depth and breadth of knowledge in all aspects of business ranging from Finance to Engineering to Branding, Sales, Operations and Information Technology.

Howard has worked for a variety of major companies throughout his career such as Federal Mogul, Frito Lay, Magnetek, Heatcraft Refrigeration Products, and Advanced Distributor Products (a division of Lennox International). Continuous learning has been a hallmark of his professional career. He has completed executive educational courses from premier institutions such as Northwestern University, Harvard University, The University of Maryland, and The University of Tennessee.

In his last tenure as the Senior Executive of Advanced Distributor Products, he led the lowest performing division to fifth largest profit center, the second highest return on sales, and the #1 ROIC division within the international company. In his last year as the chief executive, the company exceeded +$250M in annual sales and employed over 1,100 employees. He led the charge in new technology development resulting in sustainable manufacturing operations within the United States while successfully, and daily, competing with various manufacturers throughout the global landscape.

From the depths of the Great Recession of 2008, he led the company in 8 straight years of significant market share gains, while averaging +13% in annual sales growth during those same years. His areas of expertise are Strategy, Execution, Innovation, Financial Management, Branding, Program Management, and Talent Development.

While serving in industry, Howard was also heavily involved in the support and growth of Patrick Henry College. Since the inception of the college, Howard has served as a major donor, a member of the Foundation Board, and a member of the Board of Trustees.