Iowa
Technology
Summit
TRANSFORMATION TRACK
The Blueprint for CX Success: Wellmark’s Approach to Customer Experience
APR. 7 / 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM / MINI KEYNOTE
About
How do you turn a customer‑centric vision into measurable value? In this session, we’ll open the playbook on how Wellmark structures its customer experience (CX) function—covering the operating model, governance rhythms, and the cross‑functional mechanisms that translate insights into outcomes. You’ll see how we organize work around end‑to‑end journeys and how those teams align with technology and the business to deliver tangible improvements.
We’ll dive into how Wellmark stood up their experience operating model that achieves the balance of business and customer needs, blending the art and science that is at the core of human-centered design.
Key themes for the presentations include:
- Capabilities/Areas of expertise—what are the key capabilities needed to design and deliver a world-class CX practice
- Journey structure—how we identified the journeys and organize work around them
- Key integrations and governance—how we create alignment and buy-in with key business stakeholders
- Scalability—how we have scaled the CX model to serve additional non-customer audiences
Takeaways
- Practical, Adaptable Examples—Attendees will gain actionable, real-world examples of how to structure and scale customer experience (CX) initiatives. These examples are designed to be adapted to different organizations and contexts, helping participants apply proven strategies to their own CX challenges.
- Repeatable Governance Path—The session will outline a clear, repeatable governance process that moves insights into delivery. This path demonstrates how to align cross-functional teams, establish effective rhythms, and ensure that CX improvements are both measurable and sustainable.
- Concrete Methods for Driving Outcomes—Participants will learn how structuring CX around customer journeys, research, and analytics leads to tangible results for both customers and the business.
The session will showcase how Wellmark’s approach translates vision into value, with examples of measurable improvements and business impact.
Speakers
Abby Kennedy
Team Leader - Customer Experience Research & Strategy
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Abby is the Team Leader for Experience Research & Strategy at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she advances customer centered decision making through rigorous research, journey analysis, and insight delivery. As a customer experience and research professional, Abby champions consumer insights to drive organizational strategy and innovation. Within Wellmark’s CX practice, Abby leads the Experience and UX research and content strategy disciplines. Additionally, she develops and executes customer experience strategies, implements Voice of Customer (VOC) programs, and establishes measurement frameworks to assess and optimize CX performance. Through these methods, Abby and her team uncover actionable insights that shape consumer centered communication, products, and processes. Certified in customer experience, with foundations in consumer insights and market research, Abby collaborates cross functionally to weave human-centered perspectives throughout initiatives and ensure measurable impact.
Jenni Ross
Director, Experience Strategy & Design
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Jenni Ross leads Customer Experience (CX) strategy and design at Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she has spent eight years building and scaling the CX practice. Jenni manages multi-disciplinary teams and develops key talent across product management, analytics, engineering, and UX design, driving customer growth and retention through data-driven, customer-first solutions. Her achievements include establishing an enterprise-wide CX practice, delivering top-rated digital experiences (delivering the #2 health insurance payer mobile app and #4 member portal experience against 24 competitors), and improving competitive benchmarks for five years. Jenni has built cross-functional collaboration models that reduced service times by 20% and increased customer satisfaction by 40%. She also led Wellmark’s first consumer-facing AI implementation. Previously, Jenni was Director of UX and Product Management at Redbox and consulted for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits, including Warner Brothers, Lexis Nexis, Sony, and United Health Group.
Interested in Sponsorship Opportunities?
Amplify your brand, strengthen your marketing efforts, and connect with new audiences across Iowa’s technology community.
Join us as a sponsor:
Keep Up with Iowa Tech News
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates on events, industry insights, and new ways to engage.
It’s the easiest way to stay connected to Iowa’s tech community.