At its annual meeting, the Kohler Co. Board of Directors elected Chairman and CEO Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. to the new role of Executive Chairman.

Effective June 1, Mr. Kohler will continue to

• chair the Board
• lead its Executive Committee
• oversee shareholder communications
• manage corporate mergers and acquisitions and the Hospitality & Real Estate Group

David Kohler, President and COO since 2009, was elected President and CEO. His duties will expand to include responsibility for the company’s corporate staff and three of its business Groups. Kohler Co. has a comprehensive succession plan for all middle and upper management positions. The company considers the change as part of an orderly transition to protect the mission of creating high quality, technologically advanced products.

Herbert V. Kohler Jr. has served as CEO since 1972. He worked as a laborer or technician in every division of the company as a teen, beginning full-time in 1965. During his 43-year span as CEO, he built the company into a global organization focused on products and services leading to a better way of living.

David Kohler began at Kohler Co. by working in every manufacturing division on the front lines during and after graduating from Duke University. He left Kohler to earn his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. After Kellogg, Kohler worked at Dayton Hudson Corporation and rejoined Kohler as Director – Fixtures Marketing in 1993. Since then, he has served in progressive roles including

• Vice President Sales
• Sector President – K&B Americas
• Group President – K&B Group
• Executive Vice President
• President and COO of Kohler Co.

Kohler currently serves on the Board of Directors of Interface Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; Interceramic, Chihuahua, Mexico; and the Green Bay Packers.

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