Laura Kohler Elected as Chair of the African Wildlife Foundation’s Board of Trustees

Laura Kohler was elected to a four-year term as Chair of the African Wildlife Foundation’s Board of Trustees during a quarterly board meeting on March 5, 2026. She is replacing Larry Green, who stepped down from the role due to professional commitments. Mr. Green remains on the board as an active trustee.

With a passion for water, conservation, and protecting natural resources, Ms. Kohler brings more than three decades of leadership experience to AWF’s board, having served in multiple executive positions at Kohler Co., a privately owned global leader in premium kitchen, bathroom, and lifestyle products headquartered in Wisconsin. While there, she has led both communications and human resources, most recently serving as Chief Sustainable Living Officer. In this role, she has overseen initiatives across the world, including brand and market building Kohler in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania. Her work in Kenya and South Africa included partnerships with several sanitation NGOs to advance Kohler Co.’s Innovation for Good, an internal start up to commercialize business opportunities with a social purpose.

“The talent of the African Wildlife Foundation’s staff and the caliber of the global board create a formidable team, driving significant impact for people and wildlife across Africa. AWF’s emphasis on African leadership and its mission of linking conservation to people’s livelihoods resonate deeply with me and feels especially urgent at the moment. As the newly elected Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am honored to build on the foundation established by previous chairs Larry Green and Heather Haaga to advance a vision for Africa where people and wildlife thrive together. I look forward to strengthening the board’s leadership and supporting the team as we move our strategy forward with clarity and purpose.”
—Laura Kohler, Chair, AWF Board of Trustees

“The African Wildlife Foundation benefits from the talents of an outstanding, deeply engaged board. As CEO, I am excited about the energy, vision, and wealth of business experience Laura brings to the role of chair. Her election comes at a time when our strategies and partnerships are successfully building sustainable economies and resilience on the continent, helping nations and local leaders navigate choices and embed conservation into their long-term economic planning.” 
—Kaddu Sebunya, AWF CEO

“While professional commitments require me to shorten my planned tenure as AWF Board Chair, I have full confidence the organization is in exceptional hands with Laura’s election as chair. I remain committed to AWF’s mission and, as a trustee, to supporting Laura’s leadership as she transitions into her new role.”
—Larry Green, AWF Trustee and former Chair of the Board of Trustees (2023-2025)

To learn more about Laura Kohler, read her bio here: https://www.awf.org/about/trustees