Nina Kohler has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer - Hospitality at Kohler Co.
Kohler Co. today announced the appointment of Nina Kohler as Chief Executive Officer – Hospitality, effective immediately. She will lead strategy, growth, talent, and guest experience across a portfolio spanning Kohler, Wisconsin; St. Andrews, Scotland; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Chicago, Illinois.
The appointment comes as Kohler advances a multi-year investment in its flagship Wisconsin destination, expanding its accommodations, wellness offerings, golf, dining, and recreation.
Kohler’s hospitality business has an unusual provenance. The American Club opened in 1918 as housing for immigrant employees of Kohler Co. In 1981, under Herbert V. Kohler Jr., it reopened as a resort hotel. That reinvention established the foundation for a destination where the company’s approach to design and craftsmanship extends beyond its products to the places and experiences it creates.
For the past four years, Nina has served as a consultant and strategic advisor to Kohler Hospitality, working closely with its leadership team on strategy, brand positioning, design, and guest experience. Her work has helped shape the business’s long-term direction and modernization, building on its reputation for championship golf while developing a broader offering in wellness, dining, and year-round recreation. The company reported consecutive years of record performance in 2024 and 2025.
In Wisconsin, that evolution includes the renovation of the Forbes Five-Star Kohler Waters Spa, the transformation of The Carriage House into an adults-only wellness retreat with 55 redesigned guest rooms; the reopening of Woodlake Market as a gourmet marketplace and food hall featuring regional food and Wisconsin makers; and the opening of The Serve, a year-round racquet sports complex with indoor pickleball, outdoor platform tennis, and a social lounge. Together, these additions extend the destination’s appeal while creating new spaces for guests and residents to gather.
The next phase includes an expansion and renovation of the Inn on Woodlake, adding 66 guest rooms and suites; Bucks & Birdies, a golf and entertainment venue combining interactive golf and racing simulators, duckpin bowling, dining, and social spaces; and Purebred Farm, a 14-hole, King Collins Dormer designed golf course west of Blackwolf Run. Its name recalls the former Kohler Farms cattle operation, connecting the destination’s next golf offering to the history of the land.
As CEO, Nina will work closely with the Hospitality leadership team to oversee these investments and the performance and long-term direction of the broader portfolio.
Beyond her work with Kohler Hospitality, Nina serves as a board member of Old Course Ltd., chair of PGA REACH, (philanthropic arm of the PGA of America), a trustee of Vanderbilt University, and a director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County.
For more information and to follow the latest updates from Kohler, Wisconsin, visit KohlerWisconsin.com.