SUNZ Insurance Company, a large deductible workers’ compensation carrier, has promoted Karen Bolinder from director of Financial Operations to chief operating officer.

In her new position, Bolinder will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of SUNZ Insurance with direct oversight of the policy administration and payroll departments. Bolinder will also work closely with Therese A. Stevens, president of SUNZ, on the company’s overall operations strategy and execution.

According to Steve Herrig, CEO of SUNZ, Bollinder will work to help the company’s footprint continue to expand.

Bolinder has more than 30 years of diversified experience in accounting and business operations, policy administration, financial analysis, and system implementations, including guidance and support of operational and financial systems implementations. In addition, Bolinder has expertise in process improvement and workflow efficiencies as well as extensive experience in supporting executive management through meeting financial and managerial reporting needs.

SUNZ also announced it has appointed Glen J. Distefano to the position of chief technology officer.

Distefano will provide the leadership, vision and a roadmap for how technology can further strengthen the company’s current and future workers’ compensation offerings, service delivery and overall business.

Distefano had been serving as chief operations officer and chief information officer where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of SUNZ, including the technology area. He has also served on the board of directors of SUNZ since 2008.

Distefano joined SUNZ at its inception in 2005 as chief information officer and was instrumental in the design and implementation of all technology currently in place at SUNZ Insurance Company. He also helped create the current systems in place to ensure compliance in the areas of fraud, payroll reporting and audit systems.

Distefano has been involved in the professional employer organization (PEO) and staffing industries since the late 1980s. He started his career working for Staffing Network and Nexus Payroll Services located in Manchester, N.H. as their mManager of Information Systems.

SUNZ Insurance, established in 2005, was founded specifically to provide large deductible workers’ compensation program for professional employer organizations, staffing agencies and large companies.