Sara Desjardins

Examiner
DISC Type : cs

Head of Demand Generation and Sales Business Operations, Payments at Finastra

Canada

Overview

Sara is an executive operator with over 20 years of experience in financial services and IT, specializing in turning strategy into execution. Currently Head of Demand Generation and Sales Business Operations at Finastra, she has an MBA from the Ivey Business School.

Based on her professional history, she is a leader who values creating inclusive and forward-thinking corporate environments. She has been recognized for developing programs that support both supplier diversity and internal employee innovation, demonstrating a commitment to building stronger business communities.

During her time at IBM, she received an award for her leadership in growing the company’s supplier diversity programs.

Personality Overview

Tough To Convince

Overcautious

Status Quo Seeker

They tend to have clarity about their needs and constraints, and are unlikely to over-promise.  The only way to convince them is by showing them examples and ample proof. They are always well-planned and adopt a systematic approach.

Topics They Care About

Revenue Operations
Her experience as Chief of Staff to a CRO and current role focus on driving growth, operational alignment, and critical business decision-making.
Payments Modernization
She actively posts about the future of ACH payments, the need for modern upgrades, and breaking free from legacy systems in the financial industry.
Fintech Transformation
As a leader at Finastra, created from the merger of D+H and Misys, she is at the forefront of the fintech industry's evolution.

Media Appearances

Finastra Strengthens Executive Team with Strategic Hires to Accelerate Growth and Customer Success. Featured in The AI Journal

See Now

Work History

6-2024
Head of Demand Generation and Sales Business Operations, Payments at Finastra
4-2022 - 5-2023
Chief of Staff to the CRO, Payments at Finastra
8-2019 - 3-2022
Procurement Business Partner to President, Sales and Marketing at Finastra
6-2017 - 8-2019
Global Strategic Sourcing Lead at Finastra
2-2016 - 6-2017
Global Strategic Sourcing Lead at D+H

Education

2003 - 2004
MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University
1996 - 2000
Honors Business Administration from Ivey Business School at Western University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Canada Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Demand Generation and Sales Business Operations, Payments at Finastra
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Insights For Selling To Sara

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • First of all, focus on building their confidence by sharing examples, case studies etc.
  • Expect them to be vague in response to your questions, ask firmly and pointedly
  • Expect them to be slow and cautious, encourage them to ask more questions

DONT's

  • Don't be very accepting if that is your natural style, stay firm
  • Avoid getting into storytelling mode, especially when they ask specific questions
  • Don't push them too hard to make fast decisions, give them time

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sara is

  • Proof of usage by others in the industry, case studies showing ROI are likely to work the best with them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sara

  • They don’t say no often, they push out the decisions or keep going around in circles.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sara move?

  • They are some of the slowest movers and take their time reaching decisions.
  • Can Sara take some risk or not?

  • They have very low acceptance of risk even if they do not say it directly.

You And Sara

Personality Compatibility


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