Kohler Co. has appointed Nina Kohler chief executive officer of hospitality, effective immediately. In the role, she will oversee strategy, growth, talent development and guest experience across the company's hospitality portfolio in Wisconsin, Scotland, Green Bay and Chicago.
The appointment comes as Kohler continues a multiyear investment in its flagship Wisconsin destination, including expanded accommodations, wellness amenities, golf offerings, dining venues and recreation experiences.
Kohler Hospitality traces its roots to The American Club, which opened in 1918 as housing for immigrant workers employed by Kohler Co. The property was transformed into a resort hotel in 1981 under Herbert V. Kohler Jr., creating the foundation for the company's hospitality business.
For the past four years, Nina Kohler has served as a consultant and strategic adviser to Kohler Hospitality, working with leadership on strategy, brand positioning, design and guest experience. The company said her efforts helped guide the business's modernization and expansion beyond its golf heritage into wellness, dining and year-round recreation. Kohler reported record performance in both 2024 and 2025.
“Kohler Hospitality gives people the opportunity to experience our company’s commitment to design and craftsmanship firsthand,” said David Kohler, chair and CEO of Kohler Co., in a statement. “Nina has played an important role in shaping the direction of this business and the investments now taking place. She combines a clear commercial vision with a discerning eye for design and the details that distinguish our destinations.”
Recent investments in Wisconsin include the renovation of the Forbes Five-Star Kohler Waters Spa; the conversion of The Carriage House into an adults-only wellness retreat with 55 redesigned guestrooms; the reopening of Woodlake Market as a gourmet marketplace and food hall; and the launch of The Serve, a year-round racquet sports complex featuring indoor pickleball, outdoor platform tennis and social spaces.
Future projects include an expansion and renovation of the Inn on Woodlake that will add 66 guestrooms and suites; Bucks & Birdies, an entertainment venue featuring golf and racing simulators, duckpin bowling and dining options; and Purebred Farm, a 14-hole golf course designed by King Collins Dormer near Blackwolf Run.
As CEO of hospitality, Nina Kohler will work with the leadership team to guide the portfolio's expansion strategy and oversee the performance of the company's hospitality assets.
“I have called this community home for more than 30 years, and I have never thought of Kohler as a destination apart from the village around it,” Nina Kohler said in a statement. “People come here for a sense of place, the golf, the water, the table, the landscape and the feeling of being gathered well. Our opportunity is not simply to add more. It is to give people enduring reasons to return, and to be as careful about what we preserve as about what we add.”