SARA FOURNIER
Chesterfield
Summary
Insurance agency owner and sales leader with 14+ years of experience building and growing business in both local and global environments. Strategic and relationship driven, with a consultative, ethical approach to advising clients and leading teams. Now focused on owning and operating an insurance agency, helping individuals and businesses secure coverage solutions tailored to their needs.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Agency Owner
Farm Bureau Insurance Of Michigan
Clinton Township
08.2024 - Current
- Managed daily operations of insurance agency and client services.
- Developed marketing strategies to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
- Oversaw staff training and development to ensure compliance with industry standards.
- Developed and implemented marketing strategies to increase revenue and brand awareness.
- Implemented efficient workflow processes to enhance client service delivery.
Insurance Sales Agent
Farm Bureau Insurance
Clinton Township
05.2024 - 08.2024
- Educated clients about insurance products and coverage options.
- Built strong relationships with clients through effective communication.
- Utilized CRM software to track client interactions and policy renewals.
- Negotiated policy terms and premiums with potential clients, ensuring competitive offers.
- Developed referral networks with other professionals, resulting in increased business opportunities.
- Sought out new clients and developed clientele by networking to find new customers.
Career Break
Chesterfield
11.2023 - 04.2024
Sales Manager
ITW Deltar Fasteners
Troy
11.2017 - 11.2023
- Built and led a successful North American European OEM commercial team, growing revenue from $20K to $13.1M over 9 years.
- Directed a high-performing sales team to achieve 120% of annual targets through strategic mentorship and development plans.
- Implemented data-driven sales processes, securing ~$2M annually and increasing market share in non-traditional auto markets by over 20% annually.
- Developed GTM strategy to streamline market research and sales methodology, resulting in strong team engagement and new business commitments.
- Established $ per car tracking and global benchmarking within the EOEM Global Teams, ensuring consistent customer messaging and regional penetration.
- Managed sales and accounts for European OEMs in North America, growing and developing new accounts.
- Collaborated globally to enhance product, technical, and customer knowledge.
- Expanded EOEM customer base by fostering relationships with D3 Tiers.
- Facilitated customer service, project management, reporting, and data analysis while streamlining processes and mentoring interns.
- Manufacturer of fastening solutions for the automotive industry.
Account Manager
ITW Deltar Fasteners
Troy
07.2013 - 11.2017
- Manufacturer of fastening solutions for the automotive industry.
Sales & Engineering Coordinator
ITW Deltar Fasteners
Troy
05.2011 - 07.2013
- Manufacturer of fastening solutions for the automotive industry.
Intern/Sales Admin
ITW Deltar Fasteners
Troy
05.2010 - 05.2011
- Launched the intern program, assisted with database setup, prepared marketing materials, and digitized inventory management.
- Manufacturer of fastening solutions for the automotive industry.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Dance Performance, Business Management
Marygrove College
Detroit, MI 09.2007 - 06/2011
Skills
- Analytical skills
- Leadership skills
- Strategic planning
- Interpersonal skills
- Organization
- Efficiency
- Problem solving
- Self motivation
- Learning
- Curiosity
- Negotiation
- Sales forecasting
- Product development
- Client management
- Workflow optimization
- Customer relationship management
- Networking opportunities
- Team building
- Time management
- Business planning
- Setting budgets
- Client acquisition
- Risk management
- Cultural diversity
- Administering payroll
- KPI management
- Consulting
- Hiring and staffing
- Competitive analysis
- Regulatory compliance
Certification
- Life, Accident & Health Insurance License, Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
- Property & Casualty Producer & Solicitors License, Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
Accomplishments
- Ranked in Top 1% of class with a 3.998 GPA
- Cross Country Team Captain
- Increased EOEM Account Revenue: Expanded revenue from $20K to $13.1M over 9 years.
- Organized and managed the ITW Women's Network Book Club & Table Talk from 2018 to 2022.
- Negotiated Resin Price Increases: Secured a resin price increase of 22%/lb versus the industry average of 18%/lb for VW in the US, outperforming EU negotiations which only achieved cost mitigation with D3 OEMs.
Hobbies and Interests
- Spending quality moments with family
- Caring for pets
- Reading
- Audiobook enthusiast
- Appreciation for the arts, particularly poetry and dance
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
German
Limited
Affiliations
- Active member of local business networking groups, including BNI, focused on relationship building and community referrals
- Community outreach and education, including insurance literacy for families, new homeowners, and small business owners
- Ongoing professional development in insurance, sales strategy, leadership, and client communication
- Creative writing and poetry, with published work and ongoing development of a personal poetry collection
- Family and community involvement, balancing business ownership with mentoring, volunteering, and youth activities
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Agency Owner
Farm Bureau Insurance Of Michigan
08.2024 - Current
Insurance Sales Agent
Farm Bureau Insurance
05.2024 - 08.2024
Career Break
11.2023 - 04.2024
Sales Manager
ITW Deltar Fasteners
11.2017 - 11.2023
Account Manager
ITW Deltar Fasteners
07.2013 - 11.2017
Sales & Engineering Coordinator
ITW Deltar Fasteners
05.2011 - 07.2013
Intern/Sales Admin
ITW Deltar Fasteners
05.2010 - 05.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Dance Performance, Business Management
Marygrove College
09.2007 - 06/2011