Press Release

Kush Kotecha to lead Nationwide’s Annuity business

Issued by Nationwide

Oct. 6, 2025

Nationwide Financial President Craig Hawley announced today that Kush Kotecha has been named leader of Nationwide Annuity. Kush fills the position which opened when Hawley was named leader of the company’s financial services business in August.  

Kush brings more than 20 years of financial services and insurance experience with deep expertise in business development, actuarial and risk management. He is known as an innovator and collaborator focused on leading and developing high-performing teams with a strong focus on using financial data to drive profitable growth.

Most recently, Kush worked for TIAA Financial Services as senior vice president of Product and Innovation, where he led product development with a focus on innovation and value-added growth. Prior to this role, he was TIAA’s senior vice president and CFO of Product and Business Development, where he developed and oversaw the methodology, governance and infrastructure for existing and new business. Under Kush's leadership, the team introduced new reporting to enable analytics, making data-driven decisions and increase awareness of product profitability.   

“Kush is a results-driven leader and innovator who brings a combination of industry expertise, strategic vision and operational excellence to this role,” Hawley said. “I am confident the Annuity business will continue to build on its strong performance under his leadership.”  

Prior to TIAA, Kush held roles as vice president of U.S. Business Strategy and Initiatives at Prudential Financial and senior vice president at Ohio National. Earlier in his career, Kush spent 13 years at Ernst & Young, where he was senior manager in the Insurance and Actuarial Advisory Services practice, serving as lead advisor to insurance companies, reinsurance companies and banks.

Kush holds a bachelor’s degree in math actuarial science from the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is a Fellow with the Society of Actuaries, Member of the American Academy of Actuaries and Associate with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. He is an active member of several boards, including the Greater Cincinnati / Dayton Red Cross and the Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled. 

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