Feature Spotlight #88 - Tina LeMieux

Pull Up a Chair, Bring Your Ideas & Never Stop Serving Others

Some careers begin with a carefully crafted plan. Others begin with a personality test that tells you you're definitely not cut out for sales. For Tina LeMieux, that's exactly how her title journey started.

A year after graduating college, her husband's college roommate's mother invited her to lunch, convinced Tina had the perfect personality for a sales career. After reviewing the results of the assessment, she smiled and said, "Nope... you're right."

Sales wasn't the answer.

Title was.

That unexpected conversation led Tina into Trust Accounting at Transnation Title in January 1997, launching a career that has now spanned nearly three decades. Today, she serves as Vice President of Escrow Operations for Fidelity National Title Company, where she continues to lead with humility, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to helping others thrive.

Helping People Discover What They're Capable Of

For Tina, leadership has always been about people first.

As Vice President of Escrow Operations, she is passionate about developing professionals, cultivating future leaders, and helping individuals recognize the unique strengths they bring to their teams. She believes the most effective leaders create environments where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to grow.

Whether she's mentoring emerging talent, encouraging collaboration across offices, or fostering a culture of continuous learning, Tina finds her greatest fulfillment in helping others build confidence and reach their full potential.

"I love helping people maximize their unique gifts and talents while creating a culture where everyone learns from each other."

The Career She Never Saw Coming

Like so many women in title, Tina didn't wake up one morning dreaming of escrow operations. Sometimes, the biggest career changes begin with the smallest moments.

For Tina, it started with a lunch meeting, a personality assessment, and an unexpected opportunity. Those seemingly ordinary experiences became the catalyst for a career path she never imagined. That's all it took.

She began in Trust Accounting and quickly discovered something she hadn't expected. This industry was full of opportunities to grow, solve problems, build relationships, and continuously reinvent herself.

Looking back, she smiles at how one conversation changed the course of her life.

Sometimes the best career plans are the ones we never make.

The Women Who Showed Her What Leadership Looks Like

Throughout her career, Tina has been shaped by remarkable leaders, but two women stand out as transformational influences.

The first was Phyllis Sperber, who taught her that competition doesn't have to divide people. Under Phyllis's leadership, the team learned to challenge one another while celebrating one another. Success wasn't about stepping over someone else. It was about sharpening each other and raising the standard together.

Later in her career, another extraordinary leader would leave an equally lasting impression.

Sharon Dixon. Tina lights up when she talks about Sharon's leadership. She admires the confidence with which Sharon leads, her willingness to empower others, and her belief that success should create freedom, not consume our lives. "Work to live... not the other way around."

That philosophy continues to influence Tina every day.

Take Your Seat at the Table

One of the most meaningful lessons Tina hopes every woman embraces is surprisingly simple: take your seat.

She has seen far too many talented women stand on the edges of important conversations, waiting for someone to invite them in. They question whether they're experienced enough, qualified enough, or truly ready to contribute. Tina understands those doubts because she's wrestled with them herself.

Early in her career, a mentor challenged her to stop observing from the sidelines and begin trusting the value she already brought to the table. It was a simple shift in perspective, but one that transformed the way she viewed leadership and opportunity. "The opportunity to have a seat at the table is already there," Tina says. "Sometimes we simply have to pull up the chair ourselves."

That mindset has stayed with her ever since, becoming not only a guiding principle in her own career but a message she now shares with others. Great opportunities don't always begin with an invitation. Sometimes, they begin with the courage to believe you belong.

Her Why Is Built on Relationships                       

When Tina talks about her "why," it has very little to do with titles or promotions.

It's all about relationships. She finds joy in helping people discover what's possible for themselves, listening to their dreams, helping them build a strategy, and celebrating as they succeed.

Watching others gain confidence has become one of the greatest rewards of her own career. "It feeds my soul when I see the people around me thrive."

And honestly... that's the kind of leadership every industry could use a little more of.

 Adding Color to Every Experience

One book has profoundly shaped the way Tina approaches both leadership and life: Unreasonable Hospitality. Its message is one she carries into every client interaction and every leadership conversation.

One quote, in particular, has stayed with her:

"Service is black and white. Hospitality is color."

That distinction has transformed the way she views leadership. Anyone can provide efficient service.

Exceptional leaders create experiences.

They make people feel seen.

They make people feel heard.

They make people feel valued.

In a world that grows more automated every day, Tina believes genuine hospitality has become one of our greatest competitive advantages.

Leading with Listening

If you ask Tina how she handles difficult people, her answer might surprise you.

She doesn't begin with speaking. She begins with listening. Her philosophy is to listen intently enough that people genuinely feel heard before ever attempting to solve the problem.

She also believes one of the most powerful leadership tools is something many people struggle to use: An apology. Not because we're always wrong. But because acknowledging someone's experience often opens the door to resolution. 

"Compassion lowers defenses faster than being right."

That's wisdom worth remembering.

More Connection. Stronger Community.

While technology has made our industry more efficient, Tina believes something important has been lost along the way. Since the pandemic, many of the conversations that once happened across conference tables or over coffee have been replaced by emails, video calls, and text messages. Although those tools keep business moving, they can't fully replace the relationships built through genuine, face-to-face connection.

Tina hopes the industry continues creating opportunities to gather, collaborate, and invest in one another beyond the day-to-day transactions. She believes that when people take the time to truly know one another, communication improves, trust grows, and challenges become easier to navigate. 

"When we see each other as people first, everything changes," she says. "We lead with more empathy, extend more grace, build stronger relationships, and ultimately create a better experience for everyone."

Family Is Her Greatest Foundation

Behind Tina's leadership is an incredible support system. Her husband has been her steady place through every challenge and every victory, offering a safe space to celebrate the wins and process the difficult days.

Her children have watched firsthand what it looks like to be raised by a working mom who loves both her family and her career. Together, they've reminded her why she works so hard.

Not simply to build a career. But to build opportunities for others.

Chef by Night... Escrow Leader by Day

Here's something many people may not know. When Tina isn't leading escrow operations, she's usually creating something delicious in her kitchen. She absolutely loves hosting dinner parties, experimenting with new recipes, and challenging herself with elaborate menus.

In her words...

She's the Chef de Cuisine of her own five-star restaurant.

Honestly... we'd all like an invitation.

Wash Their Feet

When asked about the philosophy that guides her leadership, Tina's answer couldn't be more fitting: "Wash their feet."

To her, leadership isn't about status.

It's about service.

It's about asking how you can help.

How you can encourage.

How you can make someone else's load a little lighter.

That mindset has become the heartbeat of everything she does.

Innovation Is a Responsibility

One of Tina's proudest accomplishments isn't something most people would ever see.

Back in 2008, she helped lead the creation of a Business Intelligence Data Warehouse that transformed how performance was measured across the organization. What started as an ambitious project became the foundation for KPI reporting used nationwide today.

It's exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes innovation that changes an industry, even if few people ever know who made it happen.

A Final Word to the Women of Her.Collective

If Tina could leave every woman with one lasting piece of encouragement, it would be to intentionally lift one another up.

She believes there is tremendous power in celebrating another woman's success, offering encouragement, sharing opportunities, and opening doors whenever possible. True leadership isn't about competing for a limited number of seats at the table—it's about making room for others to join you.

"Support one another. Encourage one another. Propel one another forward."

For Tina, success is never diminished by helping someone else grow. Instead, it creates a ripple effect that strengthens individuals, organizations, and the industry as a whole. She believes that when women choose collaboration over competition, everyone benefits—and together, we all rise a little higher.

Congratulations, Tina LeMieux! Thank you for reminding us that leadership begins with service, innovation thrives through collaboration, and sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply pull up another chair. We are honored to celebrate you as this week's Her.Collective Spotlight Woman of Title. 💗

*Connect with Tina here: tlemieux@fnf.com  I LinkedIn I Facebook I Instagram