10 Nationwide customer service leaders
Michelle Samuel, SVP, Chief Customer Officer at Nationwide, heads this list of Nationwide customer service leaders, alongside vice presidents and directors of customer relations, customer advocacy and contact center operations at the insurer. A reader can learn how customer service leaders work at Nationwide from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Brian Smith
LinkedInExperience: Former Vice President, Customer Service and Billing · Nationwide
Brian Smith is a former Nationwide customer service leader who was Vice President, Customer Service and Billing at Nationwide from 2021 to 2023, based in Columbus, Ohio. At Nationwide, Brian Smith was also VP, Excess and Surplus/ Specialty IT from 2017 to 2021, VP, Requirements and Testing from 2016 to 2017 and VP, Delivery Services from 2011 to 2016.
Chris Kehl - ChFC, CLU, FSRI
LinkedInExperience: Director, Customer Relations · Nationwide
Chris Kehl has been Director, Customer Relations at Nationwide since December 2022, based in Columbus, Ohio. At Nationwide, Chris Kehl was also Director, Member Services, Post Issue Servicing, Individual Products and Solution from 2015 to 2020 and Director, NF Member Retention, Internal Sales and Service from 2006 to 2015, and was Director, Member Support, Individual Life and Annuities, Individual Products & Solutions at Nationwide Financial from 2020 to 2023.
Coda Bruce
LinkedInExperience: Director, Customer Advocacy · Nationwide Insurance
Coda Bruce has been Director, Customer Advocacy at Nationwide Insurance since September 2013, based in Columbus, Ohio, and the profile headline gives the title Director, Office of The Chief Customer Advocate. Coda Bruce describes leading a team that supports the Board of Directors, OCEO, and NW Social Media for all customer facing interactions, and was Manager, Quality and Training at Nationwide from 2007 to 2013.
Jennifer Square
LinkedInExperience: Former Associate Vice President, Director, Customer Relations Operations · Nationwide
Jennifer Square is a former Nationwide customer service leader who was Associate Vice President, Director, Customer Relations Operations at Nationwide from 2011 to 2026, a role the profile ties to the Office of Customer Relations (OCR) and its operations services, and Director, Customer Relations there from 2011 to 2018. Jennifer Square has been a Vice President at Huntington National Bank since September 2026.
Julie Bergstedt
LinkedInExperience: VP - Personal Lines Services · Nationwide
Julie Bergstedt holds the title VP - Personal Lines Services at Nationwide, a role the profile dates from June 1982, based in Westerville, Ohio, and describes improving the overall Claims Call Center CEM scores. Julie Bergstedt was also Vice President - Personal Lines Technology and Output at Nationwide from 2004 to 2009 and lists an Associate Vice President role at National Customer Care Development from 1999 to 2004.
Lori Rennie
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Enterprise Billing and Office of Customer Advocacy · Nationwide
Lori Rennie has been Vice President Enterprise Billing and Office of Customer Advocacy at Nationwide since February 2020, based in Westerville, Ohio, and describes being a customer experience and business transformation executive. The profile also lists a Vice President role at Nationwide since 2014 and an AVP role there from 1993 to 2020.
Michelle Samuel
LinkedInExperience: SVP, Chief Customer Officer · Nationwide
Michelle Samuel has been SVP, Chief Customer Officer at Nationwide since January 2025, based in West Lafayette, Indiana. Michelle Samuel was Vice President and Head of Direct-to-Consumer Business at Prudential Financial from 2020 to 2024, Vice President, Head of Customer Experience & Digital Transformation at Prudential Financial from 2015 to 2020 and Vice President, Customer Experience and Customer Value Center there from 2012 to 2015.
Ron Chappeil
LinkedInExperience: Director Contact Center Operations · Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
Ron Chappeil has been Director Contact Center Operations at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company since September 2009, based in Columbus, Ohio. The profile lists Director Contact Center Operations at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company as the headline title and as the only role in the experience section.
Sherman McCoy
LinkedInExperience: Personal Lines Service Operations Director · Nationwide
Sherman McCoy holds the title Personal Lines Service Operations Director at Nationwide, based in Knightdale, North Carolina, a current role the profile lists without a start date. The profile headline gives the same title, Personal Lines Service Operations Director at Nationwide Insurance, and the experience section lists it as the current role.
Susan Hatfield
LinkedInExperience: AVP, Customer Relations · Nationwide
Susan Hatfield has been AVP, Customer Relations at Nationwide since October 2008, based in Columbus, Ohio. Susan Hatfield describes a strong executive leadership background focusing on operational execution and development of strategic initiatives, and the profile lists the AVP, Customer Relations role as the current position.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's area, such as customer relations and advocacy, contact center operations, personal lines servicing or billing, to the decision you face. Check each person's dates and current title, since the timing of a role shapes what the person can speak to.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your customer service role at Nationwide?
- 02How do you decide when a customer issue should go to a customer relations or advocacy team?
- 03What has your own work taught you about keeping service consistent across contact centers and lines of business?
Reaching Nationwide customer service leaders
How can I contact one of these Nationwide customer service leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 3 companies: Nationwide, Nationwide Insurance and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based on profile data retrieved on October 26, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Nationwide customer service leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Nationwide customer service leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.