Sharon Fontenot
Focuses primarily on strategic planning and business development. She is a frequent public speaker on financial planning, risk management, entrepreneurship, and business planning. Sharon was a moderator and contributing panelist for the Continuing Legal Education course “The New Economy & the ABC’s of Financial Survival” presented to the Gate City Bar Association.
Mrs. Fontenot has extensive expertise in financial management, asset allocation, risk management, and wealth accumulation. She began her career in accounting as a corporate auditor at Kraft Foods and Philip Morris Companies developing technical models to analyze and review internal accounting controls for companies in the industrial, food manufacturing and distribution sectors.
After graduating with an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke
University, Mrs. Fontenot became a Director of Business Development for then American Security Group (now Assurant Group) where she developed business and marketing plans for new products to take full advantage of the vast credit card distribution channel. Mrs. Fontenot remained in the insurance industry for more than 10 years as a Product Manager for Progressive Corporation in New York, NY; Operations Director for Infinity Property & Casualty in Alpharetta, GA; and Agent for State Farm Insurance in Kennesaw, GA.
As an adjunct to her career experience, Mrs. Fontenot has always maintained involvement in community activities to lend her education and experience to the cause of organizations such as The National Black MBA Association – Atlanta Chapter, Community Consulting Team, The Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Alumni Chapters of both Florida A&M University and Duke University.
It is Mrs. Fontenot’s personal goal to assist in improving the financial literacy and hence the financial position of all Americans but especially those of African descent. She is currently developing a youth financial literacy academy to introduce young people to the dynamics of money and credit. The principles of earning, saving, investing, giving and spending responsibly are near and dear to her heart.