T. Penny Gildersleeve
Atlanta,GA
Summary
Dynamic senior leader known for optimizing processes and implementing strategic improvements. Recognized for fostering teamwork and adaptability in dynamic environments. Skilled in strategic planning, business process optimization, and change management, consistently delivering increased revenue and enhanced customer satisfaction. Adept at building high-performing teams and implementing lean principles to drive efficiency and profitability. Expertise includes people development, compliance, and human resources, with a focus on global customer success.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Auto Claims Senior Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2023 - Current
- Direct and mentor claim leaders, ensuring consistent execution of claim handling strategies and driving continuous improvement in performance metrics.
- Provide expert guidance on complex coverage, liability, and damage assessments; granting settlement authority as needed.
- Develop and implement standardized claim processes and compliance programs, ensuring adherence to jurisdictional requirements, minimizing regulatory risks while handling 23M + customer interactions.
- Conduct comprehensive operational surveys, identifying key trends and implemented process improvements that increased combined productivity rate to over 100%.
- Serve as a subject matter expert on compliance, mitigating extra-contractual risks and ensuring adherence to federal and state regulations, resulting in zero compliance violations.
- Collaborate with senior leadership to establish and maintain enterprise-wide quality, productivity, and training standards, driving consistent performance across all claim operations.
- Designed and implemented a virtual leadership training program focused on psychological safety and inclusivity, resulting in record-setting employee engagement results across all property claims segments.
- Co-leading Workforce and Expense Pillars initiatives, focused on optimizing customer value by driving improvements in pricing strategies and enhancing ease of service.
Customer Care Center Second Line Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2014 - 01.2022
- Led cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives and improve workflow efficiency.
- Provided strategic oversight to over 800 FTEs within a Fortune 50 environment, driving performance across underwriting, sales, claims, technical support, and vendor management.
- Drove significant improvements in quality, productivity, and training standards within a multi-state virtual environment, exceeding service level agreements and quality benchmarks while managing over 20 million annual customer interactions.
- Served as a subject matter expert on insurance regulations, policies, and procedures, ensuring organizational compliance and mitigating risk.
- Ensured strict adherence to company procedures and state/federal regulations, maintaining a culture of compliance.
- Developed and executed strategic initiatives, transforming underperforming functions and achieving record-setting results through process optimization.
Customer Care Center Training Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Built and directed a high-performing team of Customer Care Center Training Leaders across Atlanta, Dallas, and Phoenix, driving consistent training standards and results.
- Developed and implemented leadership training programs to enhance employee performance and knowledge retention.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify training needs and align initiatives with organizational goals.
- Pioneered the development and deployment of the Peer Assist Line (PAL), providing critical real-time support resources for associates across expansion hubs.
- Led successful training and transitions for over 1500 employees during the Atlanta, Dallas, and Phoenix expansions, ensuring seamless integration of trainees, leadership, and PAL teams into the live environment.
- Engineered a practical training program that provided trainees with hands-on experience while maintaining strict compliance and ensuring zero disruption to customers or agents.
- Implemented innovative bridge training programs, fostering collaboration with interdisciplinary partners and line leadership, resulting in streamlined training, continuous development, and accelerated transitions across the Enterprise.
Auto Claim Team Manager
State Farm Insurance
01.2010 - 01.2012
- Led and developed a team of 15 Claim Specialists, driving performance through strategic hiring, targeted training, and effective performance management.
- Managed a high-performing, multi-state virtual team, ensuring consistent performance and collaboration.
- Implemented process improvements that transformed underperforming salvage teams into high-functioning units, resulting in 40% increase in efficiency.
- Led a multi-state bilingual team, standardizing claim handling processes and enhancing customer experience, leading to the team's adoption and expansion as an enterprise-wide shared service.
- Developed and implemented a Vendor Assistance Program that streamlined salvage operations, resulting in its adoption as an enterprise-wide program after a successful corporate pilot.
- Identified and rectified policy discrepancies in catastrophe expenses, leading to a revised corporate policy and generating significant cost savings for the enterprise.
- Standardized claim reporting by aligning the Auto Cause of Loss (COL) report with the Fire COL report, ensuring consistency across all claims departments.
- Developed and delivered quarterly trend reports to executive leadership, providing critical insights for strategic decision-making.
Education
B.A. - Humanities
Howard University
CPCU Society Leadership Summit Certificate - undefined
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Associate - Claims, Insurance Services, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter
Skills
- Regulatory compliance programs
- Claims management
- Operational streamlining
- Leadership development
- Strategic planning oversight
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Organizational change management
- Regulatory compliance
- Development of psychological safety strategies
- Visionary leadership
- Process implementation
- Global mindset
Affiliations
- Board of Directors, Crossroads to Intervention
- Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society
- National African American Insurance Association
- State Farm Women's Network
- State Farm Diversity and Inclusion Council
- Young Business Professionals
- Urban Empowerment
Timeline
Auto Claims Senior Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2023 - Current
Customer Care Center Second Line Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2014 - 01.2022
Customer Care Center Training Leader
State Farm Insurance
01.2012 - 01.2015
Auto Claim Team Manager
State Farm Insurance
01.2010 - 01.2012
CPCU Society Leadership Summit Certificate - undefined
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Associate - Claims, Insurance Services, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter
B.A. - Humanities
Howard University
Additional Career Highlights
- Auto Claims Team Manager - State Farm
- Human Resources Business Partner - State Farm
- Project Manager in Executive Office - State Farm