Our Leaders

Meet the Nationwide Employee Benefits^® Leadership Team

We've combined a team of seasoned benefits industry professionals with Nationwide's insurance and financial services expertise to create Nationwide Employee Benefits.

Syed Rizvi, Vice President

Syed Rizvi (Rizvi) is Vice President/Chief Specialty Insurance Officer for Nationwide Employee Benefits, leading Sales, Underwriting, Operations, Strategy and Product Development. Rizvi joined Nationwide in 2007 as Vice President, Enterprise Performance Management and Analysis (EPM&A) reporting to the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Nationwide in 2007, Rizvi was Vice President of Finance for Victoria's Secret at Limited Brands and was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company. Rizvi holds a Master of Business Administration from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business and a master's degree in engineering from State University of New York at Buffalo.

Bessie Bui, Associate Vice President

Elizabeth (Bessie) Bui is Associate Vice President, leading Sales, Underwriting, Operations, Strategy and Product Development for Nationwide Employee Benefits. Bessie joined Nationwide in 2007 and has held various roles in Finance, Strategy and Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from the Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Don Schley, AVP, Actuarial

Donald (Don) Schley is Associate Vice President Actuarial, Risk and Program Underwriting for Nationwide Employee Benefits. Don joined Nationwide in January of 2009 and has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. He has held roles in IT, Claims, and Individual Insurance. Prior to joining Nationwide, Don worked for Shenandoah Life Insurance, Genworth Financial, and State Farm Insurance. Don holds a Master of Science Degree from Illinois State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University. Don received his Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries in 2007 and is a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Mike Donald, Director of Underwriting

Michael (Mike) Donald is the Director of Underwriting for Nationwide Employee Benefits. Mike has over 25 years of experience in group employee benefits. He has held leadership roles in underwriting, operations, sales and marketing for large national carriers and regional specialty insurance companies. His experience includes group life, disability, dental, vision and accident coverages of all size groups. He is very excited about delivering Nationwide On Your Side^® service to current and future members through our group insurance products. Mike is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist and has received two degrees from Iowa State University, a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.

Gene Pompili, Director of Sales

Eugene (Gene) Pompili is Director of Sales for Nationwide Employee Benefits. In this role, Gene leads the sales team and strategic planning initiatives related to our employee benefits product line, and works closely with our proposal generation, client implementation and cross-enterprise partnerships. For over 17 years, Gene held roles of increasing responsibility with MetLife and Prudential and earned numerous distinctions in group insurance sales. As Business Development Director for MetLife’s Institutional eBusiness Group, he helped drive significant e-commerce growth and was appointed to a cross-enterprise research team charged with evaluating competitive landscape, building a business case and launching a new line of business. As a result of that initiative, Gene was promoted to Managing Director for the company’s workplace benefits business where he managed a national sales and client management team. Gene holds a degree in economics from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sue Reinhard, Director of Operations

Susan (Sue) Reinhard assumed the role of Director of Operations for Nationwide Employee Benefits in January 2013 after the acquisition of the Harleysville Insurance Companies. Her career with Harleysville Life Insurance Company spanned more than 25 years where she held positions in operations, sales, business development and underwriting. Sue has an extensive background in the employee benefits industry with a focus on distributing group life and disability products to small businesses through the independent agency channel. She holds industry designations of Certified Employee Benefits Specialist, Group Benefits Associate and Retirement Plans Associate – employee benefit programs sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefits.