Whitney Sauer
Carmel,IN
Summary
Dynamic Finance and Operations leader with a proven track record in driving regional financial performance, expense management, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls within a complex multi-entity insurance organization. Expertise in collaborating with executive leadership to ensure accurate financial reporting, optimize operational cost structures, and enhance compliance measures. Disciplined and detail-oriented professional committed to fostering financial ownership and accountability, consistently delivering results that align with organizational goals. Proven ability to navigate challenges and implement strategic initiatives that support sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Regional Operations Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
Indianapolis, IN
01.2014 - Current
- Lead regional operations across West & Central region offices and service centers, supporting commercial insurance brokerage functions
- Oversee large-scale transitions of brokerage work to centralized service centers, ensuring continuity, quality, and SLA adherence
- Partner with regional and executive leadership to rebalance staffing models based on volume shifts and business growth
- Drive standardization of workflows, documentation, and approval processes across acquired and legacy offices
- Establish performance benchmarks, monitor operational KPIs, and implement corrective action plans to improve throughput and accuracy
- Serve as a key connector between production teams, service centers, and carrier/operations stakeholders during platform and process changes
Regional Finance/Operations Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
Indianapolis, IN
01.2020 - 12.2023
- Partnered with COO to lead Finance and Operations for region of recent acquisitions
- Oversee integration of finance and operations into broader organization and ensure compliance and best practices were met
- Partner with regional and executive leadership to rebalance staffing models based on volume shifts and business growth
- Drive standardization of finance workflows, documentation, and approval processes across acquired offices
- Serve as a key partner between local office leadership and COO to analyze and review financial statements and operational data
Accounting Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
Norfolk, VA
09.2013 - 09.2015
- Served as the primary finance and accounting partner to the Profit Center Leader, providing ongoing financial guidance to support operational and strategic decision-making
- Led the month-end close process for the office, including review of financial statements, accruals, expense allocations, and variance explanations
- Ensured accurate, timely, and complete financial reporting in compliance with corporate accounting policies and internal controls
- Prepared and analyzed monthly financial results, identifying trends, risks, and drivers of performance
- Owned office-level budgeting and forecasting, partnering with leadership to align financial plans with business objectives
- Acted as a key liaison between the office, regional finance, and corporate accounting teams
Finance Operations Audit Analyst
Brown & Brown Insurance
Morris Plains, NJ
02.2012 - 09.2013
- Reviewed financial transactions and operational activity to assess accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
- Assisted with identifying trends and recurring issues impacting financial reporting and controls.
- Supported continuous improvement initiatives by recommending process and control enhancements.
- Gained early exposure to audit methodology, internal controls, and risk management practices.
Education
Bachelor's Degree - Accounting
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN05-2009
Masters - Accounting
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN12-2011
Skills
- Financial Statement Review & Analysis
- Trusted Business Partner
- Internal Controls & Financial Governance
- Budgeting & Reforecasting
- Acquisition Financial Support
- Workforce & Capacity Cost Analysis
- Change Management
- Workflow Standardization
- KPI & Performance Metric Tracking
- Operational Data Analysis for Financial Reporting
- Expense Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
Timeline
Regional Finance/Operations Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
01.2020 - 12.2023
Regional Operations Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
01.2014 - Current
Accounting Leader
Brown & Brown Insurance
09.2013 - 09.2015
Finance Operations Audit Analyst
Brown & Brown Insurance
02.2012 - 09.2013
Bachelor's Degree - Accounting
University of Tennessee
Masters - Accounting
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga