Women of Kohler Co.

From bringing a voice to women’s issues to developing the framework for Kohler’s Stewardship efforts and leading the kitchen and bath business throughout Asia, women have played a vital role in Kohler’s past and are leading us into the future.

Ruth Kohler – The Pioneer

Ruth DeYoung Kohler, mother of Kohler Executive Chairman Herbert V. Kohler Jr., is remembered for many legacies. Her journalistic excellence with the Chicago Tribune, contributions to the village of Kohler, where the company is headquartered, and dedication to the preservation of Wisconsin historic sites are all exceptional achievements. It’s her work with women and girls, however, that continues to impact lives today.

Ruth first brought her interest in women’s issues to the public ear in 1940, when she began broadcasting her radio show, Women World Wide, on WGN. When she wasn’t amplifying the voices of women over the radio waves, Ruth was organizing local events for young girls to work on public speaking, ensuring that the next generation of girls would keep the conversation going.

“She was determined that the children in Kohler, even though it was a small community, should have the same kinds of learning opportunities available to them that were available to children in bigger cities,” said her daughter Ruth.

Cindy Howley – The Steward

When Cindy Howley joined the Kohler “steno pool” in 1979, she spent her days typing product manuals. Today, you might find the Senior Manager of Kohler Stewardship visiting schools near our Jhagadia, India manufacturing plant, inspiring people around the world to participate in the annual Kohler Run/Walk for Safe Water or organizing Kohler associates to provide hurricane relief to Puerto Rico residents. 

From stenographer to secretary to advertising specialist and Kohler Design Center Manager, Cindy embedded herself in the Kohler culture and discovered opportunities to fuel her passion for improving her community.

"The Kohler culture is one of family. Associates truly care about each other and the communities in which they live," Cindy said. “When we started the journey of formalizing our program in 2010, we found so many existing examples of stewardship, both with current associates and throughout our history. It was truly inspirational.”

With Cindy’s guidance, the program has blossomed and led to the development of such initiatives as Innovation for Good and Safe Water for All.

Angela Barbee – The Engineer

As a child, Angela Barbee was helping her father work under the hood of a car in his automotive repair shop when he asked her, “do you really want to know how to fix cars? Would you rather know how to design them?”

“He saw my skillset,” said Angela, Kohler’s Global Faucets Vice President – Engineering and New Product Development. “I was always intrigued by how things worked and why things were the way they were. I loved math and technology, but it was my father who pushed me to pursue engineering.”

That support led to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, a 23-year career with General Motors, ending with Angela serving as Director – Global Design Operations, and, ultimately (and fortunately for us) to Kohler Co.

From early years spent translating consumer data into technical specifications to reduce truck noise and vibration to time spent influencing the next generation of engineers at Purdue University and now managing all aspects of product innovation, development and engineering for Kohler’s global faucets business, Angela has succeeded in her career by being in the moment at every phase.

“It’s important to be open to new opportunities and challenges but not so much so that you’re looking ahead at your next move instead of being invested in your current assignment,” Angela said. “I always advise people to be truly engaged and learning in every position they take on. Spend time studying your craft, knowing that what you’re learning will help you in the future.”

Angel Yang – The Business Leader

As President of the Asia-Pacific region of Kohler’s largest business segment, Angel Yang leads her kitchen and bath group with abundant energy and steady guidance. She began her career with Kohler in 2009 as the Director of Finance for the region but displayed a business acumen that led to her promotion to Vice President & Business Manager and on to overseeing the entire business.

Yang credits her success to her passionate, entrepreneurial spirit and encourages young people to always be eager to learn and confident in their abilities.

Cher Xue – The Environmentalist 

Our interns and co-ops quickly discover that working at Kohler is much more than a line item for their resume. In addition to career skills and on-the-job experience, they also get a taste for our Social Impact program—our commitment to making the world a better place, from the arts and community to workplace and the environment. And that commitment is what brought Cher Xue, an environmental management graduate, to Kohler.

“As a student in the environmental field, I wanted to work for an organization that cares about sustainability,” said Sustainability Engineer Cher Xue, who joined Kohler as a product development sustainability co-op. “During my co-op term, I worked with engineers to understand the environmental impact of a product from raw material all the way to the end of its lifetime, and then to develop models and tools to help lower the impact.”

As a full-time associate, Cher is developing the next generation of environmental footprint metrics and targets.