Sara Bodnar

Sara Bodnar is currently the Assistant Director of Annuity Compliance at Principal Life Insurance Company (PLIC), part of Principal Financial Group. There she leads the Annuity Compliance Team and provides comprehensive analysis and guidance on laws, regulations, and complex annuity compliance issues.

She has a diverse background which provides a broad scope of industry knowledge. Starting in a branch office as an administrative assistant and client servicing associate gave her the understanding of what it is like to work directly with clients and the ability to recognize the pain points in the sales process. Sara then advanced through the following positions: a senior compliance analyst at an OSJ, a suitability team supervisor at a BD, and an operations manager at the same BD. Now working at an insurer, these roles have built a foundation for a deep understanding of potential purchasers of PLIC products and how various distribution partners sell to them.

In addition to her compliance responsibilities, Sara enjoys being involved in guiding the culture of the company she is at. She’s previously sat on a women’s resource group, lead a Veteran’s resource as a civilian ally, and currently is on the steering committee for Principal’s Veteran’s Employee Resource Group. Outside of work she has sat on the board of a non-profit that provides school supplies to underprivileged children and leadership opportunities to all children. She also volunteers at a camp that, through community grants, gives inner-city children the opportunity to experience a week in the remote woods of Minnesota. She has 3 children, Conner 16, Logan, 13 and Daniel 2 and enjoys gardening, running, and being with her family.