For over thirty years, Laura E. Kohler has been a business leader at the forefront of driving purposeful change in the workplace and world. As Chief Sustainable Living Officer at Kohler Co., Laura brings her experience in marketing, communications, human resources and sustainability to lead Kohler’s efforts to help people to live a lifestyle, adopt behaviors and make conscious choices to minimize their impact on the planet.

Early in her career, Laura leveraged her knowledge of market trends and deep understanding of Kohler to help lead the brand launch and expansion of Kohler’s manufacturing base in China, which today is one of the largest and most profitable regions for the company.

Laura always understood how critical employee engagement and well-being was to the growth and sustainment of the company and spent much of her career maintaining these beliefs as evidenced by her nearly two decade tenure as the head of human resources. Her steadfast vision to enhance the workplace experience fostered an environment where associates could find meaningful work and achieve their full potential.

Well before it was mainstream, she introduced one of the first flexible workplace programs to reinforce the company’s longstanding belief in taking care of employees, families and the communities where they live and work. As part of this effort, Laura led the company’s stewardship and social impact efforts, focused on the idea of Associates in Action to embed Stewardship and help associates feel a sense of belonging and purpose. Guided by the company’s values, Laura oversaw the creation and success of many Kohler programs such as Innovation for Good®, the I-Prize, Safe Water for All, the KOHLER WasteLAB, and the release of the company’s first environmental, social and governance [ESG] report in 2022. Laura has also managed the Arts/Industry program for over 3 decades which has hosted over 500 artists from more than 25 countries.

In January 2023, Laura was appointed Kohler’s first Chief Sustainability and DEI Officer. In this role, Laura expanded the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, social impact and DE&I by implementing more aggressive initatives to achieve their net zero 2035 goals, accelerating innovation to provide a broader range of products that help people reduce their impact on the environment, and increasing advocacy to address water conservation and improved access to safe water and sanitation.

Laura’s commitment to prioritizing sustainability, equality, and innovation in Kohler’s operations has been met with several awards and recognitions, including the Equality 100 Award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the Sustainability Leadership Award from the Business Intelligence Group and a recognition in Fast Company’s ‘Best Workplaces for Innovators 2023: Sustained Excellence’ List.

Laura serves as the Chair for Kohler’s Trusts for Arts and Education, Preservation, and Clean Water. She is also on the boards of Kohler Company since 1999, Bank First Corporation, Duke University’s Trinity College of Visitors, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the Kohler Foundation, Inc., the African Wildlife Foundation, and the National Housing Endowment. Laura previously served on the board of Outward-Bound USA for twelve years; with 3+years as OBUSA Board and Safety Committee Chair, as well as serving eight years on The Actor’s Center Board. Laura continues to serve on the board of Outward Bound International. She most recently joined the Duke University President’s Climate Commitment Task Force.

Laura’s awards include: Recipient of the 2019 Duke University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in Political Science; of special note, Laura was given Outward Bound’s highest honor, the 2020 Kurt Hahn Award; in 2021, Laura was named as a finalist for Fast Company’s Innovative Leader of the Year, and in 2023, Laura received the 2024 Wisconsin Titan 100 award, which recognizes Wisconsin’s top 100 most accomplished business leaders in their industry demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision and passion. In 2023, Laura led the list of 50 Women Most Admired in the State of Wisconsin.

Laura earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University and her master’s degree in fine arts from Catholic University of America. She is an Outward Bound Alumnus. She resides in Kohler, Wisconsin, with her husband. Together, they have three daughters.