Ron Vlasic has been appointed as Vice President of Lodging at Kohler Co.
Kohler Hospitality is pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Vlasic as Vice President of Lodging. In his new role, Vlasic will oversee lodging operations across Kohler Hospitality’s flagship properties, including The American Club, Carriage House, Inn on Woodlake, and more. He will focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences, strengthening operational excellence, and supporting the continued evolution and long-term stewardship of Kohler’s distinguished lodging portfolio.
Vlasic joins Kohler Hospitality with more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across luxury hotels, lifestyle brands, lodging, travel organizations, and hospitality businesses. A respected voice in the hospitality industry, he has served as Chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and as an advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on travel and tourism policy. These national leadership roles complement a career defined by strategic growth, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to advancing the guest experience across a diverse range of hospitality environments.
Most recently, Vlasic served as Executive Vice President at Invited Clubs, where he led operations for 30 luxury lifestyle business clubs and six university stadium clubs nationwide. In this role, he oversaw member experience, culinary innovation, strategic planning, business growth, and operational performance. His extensive leadership across complex hospitality environments has given him a deep understanding of how personalized service, distinctive experiences, operational excellence, and strong teams come together to create lasting connections with guests and customers.
Prior to Invited Clubs, Vlasic served as Chief Operating Officer at Hostmark Hospitality Group, overseeing a portfolio of 20 hotels and restaurants while leading operations, marketing, capital planning, revenue growth, and people strategy. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly 20 years with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, helping expand the company from 12 to 63 upper-upscale lifestyle hotels across the U.S. and Canada. During his tenure, he played a key role in shaping Kimpton’s distinctive approach to lifestyle hospitality through brand development, guest experience initiatives, and operational excellence. He has also held leadership positions with organizations including Choose Chicago, the National Restaurant Association, and several hospitality foundations.
Vlasic’s breadth and depth of experience across lodging, boutique and lifestyle hospitality, travel, and complex hospitality operations bring a valuable perspective to Kohler’s heritage lodging portfolio. His career has spanned a wide range of hospitality models and markets, giving him a nuanced understanding of the operational, strategic, and guest-experience considerations that shape successful properties. His ability to combine the agility, personalization, and creativity of lifestyle hospitality with the elevated standards of five-star service, craftsmanship, and heritage positions him to further enhance the experience for Kohler guests while honoring what makes each property distinctive.
A Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), Vlasic brings extensive expertise in luxury operations, lodging, experiential hospitality, strategic growth, and team leadership to Kohler Hospitality. His appointment comes at an exciting time for the organization, including the upcoming reopening of Inn on Woodlake, and reflects Kohler’s continued investment in the thoughtful evolution and long-term stewardship of its flagship lodging assets. As Kohler Hospitality looks to the future, Vlasic will help build on the distinctive heritage and character of its properties while continuing to elevate the experiences they provide to guests from around the world.