New York Appoints First Chief Customer Experience Officer

Tonya Webster has been appointed to serve as New York State’s first-ever Chief Customer Experience Officer. In this position, Webster will work directly with state agencies to champion a customer-centric culture and transform the way New York residents access services and benefits from the State. The creation of this important position was first announced in the Governor’s 2023 State of the State address and is part of an overall plan to make government work better for all New Yorkers. Webster is the first Governor-appointed Chief Customer Experience Officer in the country.

The Chief Customer Experience Office (CXO) is charged with improving how residents interact with the New York State government. She will work alongside State agencies to ensure that the experience of residents is at the center of the services that are delivered to the public.

“Obtaining a service or benefit from a government agency does not have to be challenging, painful or frustrating,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “With Tonya Webster on board and leading this effort, I am confident New York will set the standard when it comes to reducing pain points, increasing efficiencies, and putting the customer first. With a new lens on customer experience, we are going to show the nation what government can do.”

Webster will develop and lead the execution of a statewide customer experience strategy; collaborate with agency leaders to identify process improvements and set achievable data-driven goals; expand the state’s capacity for human-centered design by growing its teams of user researchers, designers, and digital professionals; and ensure that customer experience principles are embedded into the state’s technology roadmap.

Webster has more than 20 years of experience leading customer experience transformations across the private sector. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of Service for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the former CXO for the health plan. Prior to her role with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Tonya was the Vice President of Customer Experience for Comcast NBC/Universal, where she dramatically improved customer satisfaction and service. Webster will report to Kathryn Garcia, the Director of State Operations and Infrastructure.

New York State Chief Customer Experience Officer Tonya Webster said, “It is an honor and privilege to serve as New York State’s first Chief Customer Experience Officer, and I am eager to use my skillset to help make this government even more responsive to residents and their families. Governor Hochul has rightly made improving the customer experience a priority in New York, and I know that by working together we can remove obstacles and create interactions with government agencies that are fast, simple, and more efficient for all.”