Sheila Montney

Former Assistant Vice President State Farm

Sheila Montney has held a variety of positions with State Farm Insurance Companies since 1985 in seven locations across the United States. Sheila led the start-up of the lean journey for State Farm’s Life/Health/Mutual Funds product lines which began in 2006. She currently leads Life/Health/Mutual Funds Centralized Operations, and is based at State Farm’s corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois.

Centralized Operations provides the “how to” for State Farm’s Life, Health & Mutual Funds’ product lines. Centralized Operations departments include Strategic Planning, Communications, Operations Risk Management, Procedures, Operations Excellence, Program & Project Management, Data Analytics & Quality, and Development & Knowledge Management. Centralized Operations associates are located at State Farm’s Bloomington, Illinois corporate headquarters, with field staff in Ohio, Texas, Colorado, and Illinois.

In 2012, State Farm Life was recognized by the Shingo Prize, receiving the Bronze Medallion. State Farm Life was the first financial services organization to be recognized by the Shingo Institute for their operations excellence culture and results.

Sheila holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of North Texas in Denton, and a Master’s Degree in Government from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She has earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation (The Institutes), Chartered Financial Consultant (The American College), and LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow. She has served as a speaker and benchmarking research partner for various process excellence organizations including CEB – Operations Leadership Council, The Shingo Institute, SAA & Company’s Process Roundtable, and Hammer & Company’s Phoenix Research Consortium. Sheila was named to the Shingo Institute’s Executive Advisory Board in 2015. She also serves as a PEX Week Advisory Board member for IQPC – PEX.

Sheila is married to Wayne Montney, Associate General Counsel with State Farm Corporate Law. They have one son, Jared, age 13. The Montneys live in Bloomington, Illinois.