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NYSIF Announces CIO Linda Zafonte Named to Computerworld’s List of Premier 100 IT Leaders

December 21, 2011

New York State Insurance Fund Chief Executive Deputy Director Dennis J. Hayes today announced that Chief Information Officer Linda Zafonte has been chosen as an IDG's Computerworld 2012 Premier 100 IT Leaders honoree. This year’s Premier 100 spotlights 100 leaders from both the technology and business sides of companies for their exceptional technology leadership and innovative approaches to business challenges.

Mr. Hayes said: "We are very proud of Linda and are not surprised at her inclusion. All of us at NYSIF appreciate her expertise, her leadership and her efforts to improve and streamline NYSIF’s business processes. Computerworld has chosen a very deserving recipient for its list of Premier 100 IT leaders."

Ms. Zafonte joined NYSIF in December 2009 and brought a unique skill set to the job with more than 15 years of experience developing complex applications and IT architecture at other non-profit (New York Independent Systems Operator) and for-profit (UBS Wealth Management) ventures. Since being named as CIO at NYSIF, Ms. Zafonte is working to transform and modernize the IT environment. Significant modernization improvements have included implementation of a state-of-the-art data warehouse and a new e-Business platform. Ms. Zafonte received her master's degree in information management from the Stevens Institute of Technology and her bachelor’s of science degree in business marketing from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

"I am privileged to be named as a Premier 100 IT Leader," said Ms. Zafonte. "Much of the success I have had can also be attributed to the hard work and dedication of the IT staff and our business stakeholders."

"The Premier 100 awards program shines a well-deserved spotlight on a stellar group of IT executives," said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld. "In today's business climate, IT executives must act quickly to recognize and manage risks throughout their organizations. These 100 men and women have demonstrated an ability to make those clear-sighted decisions that help their IT organizations innovate and deliver business value. Whatever comes their way in 2012, these IT leaders have the skills, the savvy and the judgment to meet the challenge. We're pleased to recognize their leadership and honor their achievements."

The Premier 100 awards ceremony will be one of the highlights of Computerworld’s annual Premier 100 IT Leaders Conference, to be held March 11-13, 2012, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference, to be attended by more than 350 influential senior IT managers, will showcase honorees and other IT innovators as they discuss how to create competitive IT organizations. 

NYSIF, created as part of the Workers' Compensation Law of 1914, is New York State’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier and the fifth largest workers’ compensation writer in the nation. By law, NYSIF is a competitive insurance carrier that sells workers' compensation and disability benefits insurance to any employer doing business in New York State. Approximately 166,000 employers hold NYSIF workers' compensation insurance policies, constituting about 31 percent of the market, while 61,000 employers maintain active disability benefits policies.

About the Premier 100
The Premier 100 program was created in 2000 to spotlight individuals who have had a positive impact on their organizations through technology. These are individuals who manage internal IT organizations, mentor and motivate their IT teams and business colleagues, create a positive work environment, envision innovative solutions to business challenges and effectively manage and execute IT strategies. Each year, nominees are invited to complete a questionnaire that addresses a number of topics, including their background and experience and their attitude toward risk and innovation. Computerworld uses its IT Leader Index, a measurement of how closely an individual matches Computerworld's definition of the IT Leader, to analyze the data. Each year, 100 honorees are selected to receive this life-time recognition award.

About Computerworld
Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide, providing peer perspective, IT leadership and business results. Computerworld’s award-winning web site, bi-weekly publication, focused conference series and custom research forms the hub of the world’s largest (40+ edition) global IT media network. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 awards, including Magazine of the Year by American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) awards in 2010, the 2009 Best Blog from the Neal awards, and 2006 Best Overall Web Publication from ASBPE. Computerworld leads the industry with an online audience of over 3.5 million unique, monthly visitors (Omniture, September 2011). Computerworld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading media, events, and research company.