About Chartwell’s Industry Insights
Chartwell’s Industry Insights is a weekly blog from Chartwell industry analysts featuring their analysis and commentary on utility industry news and happenings in the realm of customer service, customer programs and marketing.
To learn more about Chartwell, browse www.chartwellinc.com or contact Dennis Smith at 404.237.9099 ext. 31.
Bloggers
Dennis Smith, Vice President
Dennis is a noted subject matter expert on utility customer care and communications and is a frequent presenter at utility and customer service conferences. Since joining Chartwell in 1997, he has authored dozens of research reports and hundreds of articles, and has overseen more than two dozen comprehensive studies on utility customer-facing issues including smart grid and advanced metering, call center management and technologies, bill presentment, payment and collections, new and emerging technologies and marketing. Dennis has been published in numerous industry magazines, including EL&P, T&D World, Public Utilities Fortnightly, and others. He was appointed Chartwell’s vice president in 2005, named Chair of EMACS – The Customer Experience Conference in 2006 and recently took on the responsibility for Chartwell’s sales, marketing and member services departments. You can email Dennis at dsmith@chartwellinc.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dsmithChartwell.
Scott Johnson, Director of Research
Scott is a seasoned researcher who is recognized industry-wide for uncovering industry trends and facilitating unprecedented collaboration among members of Chartwell’s research councils. He joined Chartwell as a senior research analyst in 2006, following a 24-year career at The State newspaper in Columbia and took responsibility for all of Chartwell’s Outage Communications research. He was appointed Chartwell’s Director of Research in 2011, and is a frequent speaker at utility industry conferences. You can email Scott at sjohnson@chartwellinc.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ScottJChartwell.
Allison Herdic, Manager, Research and Conferences
Allison is a knowledgeable researcher and conference producer who has authored numerous publications and overseen scores of webinars and conferences for utility professionals. She joined Chartwell in 2003, researching customer contact, billing and payment, customer satisfaction and other key service topics. In 2011, Allison gained responsibility for the daily operations of research and events, also serving as editor of Chartwell’s Best Practices for Utilities & Energy Companies newsletter. You can email Allison at aherdic@chartwellinc.com or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aherdiChartwell.
Stacey Bailey, Senior Research Analyst
Stacey is a seasoned research and analytics professional with an expertise in customer segmentation, customer engagement, customer experience and satisfaction. She joined Chartwell in 2011 after a after a 15-year career in product management, research and analytics for the insurance industry. She is responsible for researching customer programs, energy efficiency and demand response along with marketing and communications. You can email Stacey at sbailey@chartwellinc.com or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StaceyChartwell.
Chris Brennaman, Research Analyst
Chris is a skilled research and editing professional with more than six years of experience. He joined Chartwell in 2011 after working as the graduate assistant for the Sports Information Department at Cumberland University, the Assistant Sports Editor at the Meridian, Miss.-based Meridian Star and an award-winning news reporter for WTOK-TV. Chris researches topics related to customer satisfaction, billing and payment, and customer contact. He also monitors trends and issues related to self-service technologies, paperless billing, Web-based services and programs for low-income customers. You can email Chris at cbrennaman@chartwellinc.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cbrennchartwell.
Russ Henderson, Research Analyst
Russ is an accomplished research and editing professional with more than 12 years of experience digging into unfamiliar and complex subject matter to produce insightful stories and enterprise work. Prior to joining Chartwell in 2011, he worked as a journalist in Alabama where he won awards for his coverage of sewer spill issues in Mobile Bay, efforts of the U.S. domestic shrimping industry to place tariffs on imported shrimp, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and impact of 2010’s BP oil spill on the Gulf Coast. He currently researches automated meter reading, advanced metering infrastructure, smart meter and smart grid-related developments, as well as technology trends and utility-vendor partnerships. You can email Russ at rhenderson@chartwellinc.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RhenChartwell.
