Denise Garafola
About Denise Garafola
Denise Garafola serves as the Director of Compensation, Retirement Services, and Health and Welfare Benefits at Sutter Health, where she has worked since 2017. She has extensive experience in human resources, having held various leadership roles in organizations such as Aon, ING, and NGA Human Resources.
Work at Sutter Health
Denise Garafola has been serving as the Director of Compensation, Retirement Services, and Health and Welfare Benefits at Sutter Health since 2017. In this role, she oversees compensation strategies and benefits administration, ensuring alignment with the organization's long-term growth objectives. Garafola has been recognized for her leadership in managing large-scale HR projects that support Sutter Health's mission. She has implemented innovative HR strategies that have significantly improved employee engagement and retention. Additionally, she developed a comprehensive training program for HR professionals, focusing on benefits administration and client management.
Previous Experience
Before joining Sutter Health, Denise Garafola held several prominent positions in the human resources field. She worked at NGA Human Resources as the Director of Benefits and Human Resources Administration for North America from 2014 to 2016, based in the United Kingdom. Prior to that, she was with Aon as a Customer Service Group Manager, where she managed health and welfare, defined benefit, defined contribution, and payroll services from 1998 to 2005 in London. Additionally, she served as Vice President and Director of Benefit Administration at ING from 2007 to 2013 in the Netherlands.
Education and Expertise
Denise Garafola holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Marketing and Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She also earned an Associate degree in Applied Science, Business Management from Suffolk County Community College in Long Island, New York. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her expertise in human resources, compensation, and benefits administration.
Achievements in Human Resources
At Sutter Health, Denise Garafola has made significant contributions to the organization's human resources initiatives. She played a key role in integrating new HR technologies, which enhanced operational efficiency. Garafola also contributed to the development of a strategic roadmap for compensation and benefits, aligning with Sutter Health's long-term growth objectives. Her leadership in managing HR projects and implementing effective strategies has been recognized within the organization.