Kohler Co. CEO to deliver keynote at annual Business Leaders Forum

October 17, 2018

David Kohler will discuss 'Journey to the C-Suite and Kohler's Evolution: A Leadership Perspective'

MILWAUKEE — David Kohler, president and CEO of Kohler Co., will be the featured speaker at the Marquette Business Leaders Forum on Thursday, Nov. 15. His keynote address, "Journey to the C-Suite and Kohler's Evolution: A Leadership Perspective," will be held in the Alumni Memorial Union, Monaghan Ballroom, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee.

Registration for the event begins at 11:45 a.m.; lunch follows at 12:15 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 12:45 p.m. Tickets are $40; corporate and sponsor tables are also available. Registration is available online.

With 26 years of experience with Kohler Co., Kohler became President and CEO in June 2015 after serving as president and chief operating officer since 2009. He is the fourth generation of the Kohler family to lead the company since its inception in 1873. He currently serves on the board of directors of Kohler Co., Interface Inc., Interceramic and the Green Bay Packers.

Kohler received his bachelor's degree in political science from Duke University and his master's degree in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also a graduate of the Voyageur Outward Bound School in Ely, Minnesota, and is a past chairman of the Young Presidents' Organization, Intercontinental Chapter. Kohler and his wife, Nina, have four children.

About the Business Leaders ForumEstablished in 1999, the Business Leaders Forum is a speaker series sponsored by Marquette University's College of Business Administration. The forum provides a setting for nationally recognized business leaders to engage in discussions and interact with students, faculty and local business leaders. The program enables Marquette to build practical knowledge into its rigorous business curriculum, exploring current trends, issues and practices in business.

Marquette University has attracted leaders at the top of their respective professions to speak at the Business Leaders Forum, including Herbert V. Kohler, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Kohler Co.; Richard M. Schulze, founder and chairman of Best Buy; and James J. Mulva, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips.

The Kathleen and Frank Thometz Foundation has made the Business Leaders Forum speaker series possible through a special endowment.