Introducing Stacy Johansen, President of Downeast Insurance
Our Customer Spotlight series focuses on the digital superstars who are successfully transforming how business gets done.
For this spotlight, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the president of Downeast Insurance, Stacy Johansen. Established in 2002, the Maine-based agency is solely owned by Downeast Credit Union—and offers a growing portfolio of insurance products to over 20,000 members across the state.
Read more about how DocuSign helps Downeast spend more time closing deals and less time tracking down signatures.
Meet Stacy
Stacy is a leader in the insurance industry with many connections across the state and nation. She’s been a part of the Downeast team for nearly 15 years, serving several roles before being named president in 2019.
We talked to Stacy about the agency’s digital transformation journey and her passion for using technology—like eSignature and Applied Epic—to streamline processes, reduce clicks and get Mainers the coverage they need in a faster, more convenient way.
What led you down the path to DocuSign eSignature?
We started using DocuSign in 2015—honestly, it was to be one up on the game…one step ahead of some of our peers. My former boss was big on technology, and we were trying to be as paperless, as electronic, as possible. So, the idea that you could get a signature by sending an email was like ahhhh [angel singing].
What did the old world look like?
It was a lot of messy work. Sometimes we’d gather our customers’ information, give them a quote over the phone and try to set up an appointment for them to come into our office. In some cases, the customer may live hours away, so we’d email the application, which they’d have to print, sign and scan. And then we’d have to reprint it and sign. Then we’d have to turn it into an electronic file. It made sense to do it that way at the time, but now, looking back at things, it's like: Oh my gosh, look at all the wasted time for everyone. It created more work than necessary.
What’s it like now?
Now, when we have an application that needs to be done, we can send it out directly through Applied Epic, our agency management system that’s integrated with DocuSign. We’ve been able to send all of our documents in one pretty package—and when they come back, they’re automatically attached to the record in Applied Epic.
What benefits have you seen from using DocuSign with Applied Epic? Where have you seen the most impact?
The ease of doing business. It's made us more effective and more efficient. When we closed our doors when COVID hit, DocuSign saved our lives. If it weren’t for us having the ability to get an electronic signature, we wouldn’t have written half the new business we did last year. It’s just made everything so seamless. We could take a credit card over the phone and get a signature in two seconds—no matter where the customer is. They’ve just got to click the button.
How has the pandemic changed the way you conduct business?
I sat in on a virtual conference last year where the CEO of Applied Epic got up and said: Don’t waste the pandemic. Don't take this time and waste it. I really took that to heart. We restructured the entire agency...and some processes on the credit union side as well. This is our new normal. This is the way to move forward.
What’s one of your favorite stories about how your customers have been impacted by eSignature?
We've had people call us and say: I'm at the dealership, and I can't leave because I don't have insurance. And we were able to quote the policy, get it right to them on their phones...and they were good to go. It’s been a huge service to our customers, being able to provide eSignature to them—and obviously, it helps us in return.
What’s next for Downeast? How does DocuSign fit into your vision for the future?
I know there are all kinds of other things that DocuSign is capable of. We're not quite there yet, but I’m super excited to get there.