Michelle Kohler, PhD, serves as the Senior Vice President, Human Resources leading the Organizational Capability Solutions team, which focuses on providing contemporary and operationally aligned solutions to develop the organization’s knowledge, skills, capabilities, culture and leadership practices. She has responsibility for the Leader Institute, which includes Leadership Academy.
Michelle leads one of the three Organizational Effectiveness teams in Human Resources. Under Michelle’s leadership, her team will support System Office, Ministry-wide Functions, Ascension Ventures, Ascension Investment Management and Ascension Capital. Her areas of focus supporting the Ascension Strategic Plan are aligned to the new economic model and consumer-centric flexible care verticals.
Michelle previously served as Vice President, Human Resources, supporting System Office, MOSTL, Ministry-wide Functions, as well as the Florida and Gulf Coast and Texas Ministry Markets. Before her current role in 2020, she served as the Senior Director of Human Resources responsible for HR strategy and delivery to the Strategy and Innovations Team, The Resource Group, Ascension Investment Management, and Ascension Ventures.
Michelle started her professional career in the automotive industry with BorgWarner, Inc., where she held roles with increasing responsibility both divisionally and at the corporate headquarters. Before joining Ascension, Michelle worked for General Electric’s Power division, where she served as the Organizational Talent and Development Leader focusing on global engineering and technology teams.
Michelle completed Ascension’s Foundations of Ministry Leadership formation program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Michelle also holds a doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is a Certified Compensation Professional and Certified Benefits Professional, and attended the Ross School of Business Advanced Human Resources Executive Program at the University of Michigan.