Vice Admiral, US Navy, Retired
Former Director of Naval Intelligence, Navy Deputy Chief Information Officer, and Director for Navy Information Warfare
Matt Kohler is a retired three-star admiral with 36 years of service. Kohler currently serves on advisory boards for MITRE, Baker Street Scientific, and Mission Secure, and operates a national security, cybersecurity consulting business. Kohler is a 1983 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he double majored in management information systems and marketing and was an All-American swimmer. He has an MS in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School and an MS in military history from US Army Command and Staff College.
A career naval intelligence officer and information warfare professional, Kohler has been integral throughout his career in advancing information and technology in Department of Defense business and warfighting capabilities from tactical to governance levels in highly innovative and internationally intensive environments. He most recently served as the deputy Department of the Navy chief information officer, director of Naval Intelligence, and deputy chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare managing a $9B portfolio. Kohler also led the US Navy’s information warfare community of over 50,000 uniformed and civilian professionals (cyber, intelligence, IT, space, meteorology, and oceanography), and managed senior executive (admirals and senior civilian executives) career development and personnel placement.
Previous assignments as an admiral include establishing and commanding Naval Information Forces, responsible for manning, training, and equipping Navy cyber, IT, intelligence, and space operations for over 14,000 personnel; deputy commander, Fleet Cyber Command, responsible for operating and defending the Navy’s 700,000 person unclassified and classified networks; director of Intelligence for US Africa Command, and National Security Agency Tailored Access Operations. Other key tours include directing Intelligence for Special Operations Command and Joint Interagency Task Forces South. Kohler has over five years of sea duty serving as the senior intelligence officer for Fighter Squadron 102 (F-14 Tomcats) on USS American (CV-66), Amphibious Squadron One on USS Pelelui (LHA-5), and Cruiser Destroyer Group 2 on USS George Washington (CVN-73) Carrier Battle Group.
Kohler has received various personal, unit, and campaign awards: the Edwin T. Layton Leadership Award, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal. Kohler is a proud native of Erie, Pa. He is married to Melanie (Wix) Kohler, an IUP graduate of 1984. They have two adult children and currently reside in Tampa, Florida.