Sara Donahue

Examiner
DISC Type : cs

Vice President Information Technology at State Farm ®

Greater Bloomington, Illinois Area, United States

Overview

Sara Donahue is the Vice President of Information Technology at State Farm, where she helps set strategic direction. An experienced technology executive in the insurance industry, she holds both AWS Cloud Practitioner and Chartered Life Underwriter® certifications and was recognized as a top rising technology leader in the 2026 Future CIO 100 Awards.

Sara is passionate about continuous learning and professional development. She draws fulfillment from attending events like the Grace Hopper conference, which she views as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow alongside talented colleagues and friends in the technology community.

She has been recognized as one of the "Future CIO 100" for 2026, honoring rising technology leaders.

Personality Overview

Unexpressive

Overcautious

Late Adopter

They are heavily focused on quality and prefer doing things the right way, even if it takes time.  The only way to convince them is by showing them examples and ample proof. They do not like taking risks at all and go for proven options in the end.

Topics They Care About

IT Leadership
Recognized as a top rising technology leader in the HotTopics Future CIO 100 Awards for 2026.
Insurance Technology
Combines deep insurance industry experience with technology leadership, evidenced by her Chartered Life Underwriter® certification.
Women in Tech
Shared her fulfillment and gratitude after attending the Grace Hopper conference, a key event for women in computing.

Media Appearances

Sara has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2021
Vice President Information Technology at State Farm ®
6-1997 - 1-2021
Enterprise Technology Executive at State Farm ®

Education

1993 - 1997
Bachelor of Arts - BA from Loras College

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 29 Location : Greater Bloomington, Illinois Area, United States Job Level : Senior Designation : Vice President Information Technology at State Farm ®
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Insights For Selling To Sara

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them which other stakeholders would be important for this purchase decision
  • Expect them to be vague in response to your questions, ask firmly and pointedly
  • Be firm in your communication and stay in control

DONT's

  • Don't push them too hard to make fast decisions, give them time
  • Don't rely on relationship building even if they act pleasantly
  • Don't use phrases like 'do not worry', 'i promise' etc.

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 are unlikely to say no, it's better to stop yourself once you have exhausted all the options.

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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