Ascension today announced that it has promoted Amber Sims and Michelle Kohler to its Ascension Leadership Team.
Amber Sims, MBA, has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, effective March 1. In this new role, Sims will lead development and advancement of Ascension’s strategy as well as positioning for growth across the organization. This includes growth engine drivers such as service lines, business development, marketing, digital experience and positioning access channels across the portfolio for growth. She also leads Ascension’s market and enterprise-level strategy community as well as enterprise portfolio management.
Sims joined Ascension in 2000. Since September 2020, she has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Previously, Sims was Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Ascension Saint Thomas market in Tennessee. She served as Vice President for Saint Thomas Health Alliance from 2013 to 2015. Prior to 2015, she led the Tennessee market’s physician enterprise and held numerous leadership positions across the acute and ambulatory portfolio.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, and a master’s degree in business administration from Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business, Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Michelle H. Kohler will be promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective June 1, following the retirement of Ascension’s current Chief Human Resources Officer Herb Vallier.
Kohler joined Ascension in 2018. Since October 2021, she has served as Senior Vice President, HR, leading the Organizational Capability Solutions team that provides contemporary and operationally aligned solutions to develop Ascension’s knowledge, skills, capabilities, culture and leadership practices. She also currently leads Executive Recruiting, Internal Communications and Organizational Effectiveness support for Ascension’s System Office, Ascension Ventures, Ascension Investment Management and Ascension Capital.
Kohler also has previously provided HR support for the Florida and Gulf Coast and Texas ministry markets, the Strategy and Innovation team and The Resource Group. Before joining Ascension, Kohler was an organizational talent and development leader at General Electric’s Power division. She started her career in the automotive industry with BorgWarner, Inc.
Kohler earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. She also holds a doctorate degree in industrial and organizational psychology. Kohler is a Certified Compensation Professional and Certified Benefits Professional, and attended the Ross School of Business Advanced HR Executive Program at the University of Michigan.
