Leadership

Dr. Zarlengo became the Chairman/CEO of Copic Companies in January 2019. Prior to this, he served as a member of Copic’s Board of Directors since 2009 and was the founder/partner of Midtown Obstetrics & Gynecology in Denver. Dr. Zarlengo received his medical degree from the University of Colorado Health Science Center and completed his residency at Saint Joseph Hospital. Dr. Zarlengo also served as Medical Director of Perinatal Services at Sisters of Charity Leavenworth Health System and Medical Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Saint Joseph Hospital and Department Chairman at Rose Medical Center. He is a Fellow with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and serves on the board of directors for the Zarlengo Foundation.

Niles joined Copic in 2016 and has more than 34 years of experience as a business and finance leader in the medical professional liability insurance industry. Prior to Copic, he spent 17 years as the Chief Financial Officer at Constellation (formerly known as MMIC Group), and six years as the Controller at Physicians Insurance. Niles served as a co-chair and board member of MPL Association’s Technology, Finance and Human Resources Section for over 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from Minnesota State University and completed the Minnesota Executive Program at the University of Minnesota. Niles sits on Copic’s Operational Council.

Sean has more than 30 years of experience in litigation, insurance, and claims management, and previously served as Copic’s Senior Vice President of Claims and Strategic Partnerships. Prior to working for Copic, Sean retired from the United States Air Force, and worked in insurance as a Senior Claims Professional, specializing in complex medical and general liability claims across multiple states. Sean holds an MBA from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His leadership outside of Copic includes serving on the board of directors for Every Child Pediatrics, Emerson Smiles, and as Treasurer at the Center for Personalized Education for Professionals. He served on the Data Sharing Advisory Committee and Claims Risk planning committee for the Medical Professional Liability Association, and currently serves on the Annual Planning committee. Sean sits on Copic’s Operational Council.

Ted joined Copic in 2022 and has more than 25 years of experience building technology organizations and delivering solutions across a diverse set of industries that include healthcare, financial, and professional services. His focus has been on digital transformation and business process automation. Prior to joining Copic, Ted held technology leadership positions at AAS Services, Glowpoint, and EmCare. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from Lehigh University. Ted sits on Copic’s Operational Council.

Dr. Zacharias was named Chief Medical Officer in 2024 and oversees COPIC’s Patient Safety and Risk Management department. He joined COPIC in 2015, and previously served as Director of Medical Education. Prior to COPIC, Dr. Zacharias held key leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of Patient Safety at Boulder Medical Center, Board Chair of Boulder Valley Care Network Clinically Integrated Network and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He has led patient safety and risk management efforts for over 20 years for several organizations, including large, multi-specialty groups, a state-wide consortium of medical groups, and community health systems. Dr. Zacharias is board-certified, earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and completed his internal medicine residency at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He is also the author of The Mediterranean Diet: A Clinician’s Guide for Patient Care and the host of COPIC’s podcast, Within Normal Limits.

Matt Groves joined COPIC in 2023 as General Counsel and Compliance Officer after more than 27 years in private practice, which included many years of working with COPIC on various issues. His background includes a broad range of legal expertise in the areas of business growth, contracts, risk, tax strategy, succession, development, employment, and regulatory issues, including significant experience representing physicians, practice groups, and health care systems. His practice included extensive federal and state litigation and trials in multiple states and foreign countries. Matt received his Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago.

Janel joined Copic in 2000. and has extensive expertise in overseeing operations and underwriting for multiple medical professional liability coverages. She manages Copic’s general underwriting operations and oversees the same for Copic, A Risk Retention Group. Janel plays a key role in Copic’s market expansion initiatives. She is a member of the reinsurance team and serves on Copic’s Operational Council. Janel holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA from Regis University. She earned a Certificate in General Insurance and is an Associate in Insurance Services.

Ms. Razon serves as the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Copic and has been with the company since 2009. Prior to joining COPIC, Ms. Razon worked on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. for nearly eight years. She leads the government affairs and public outreach for Copic, engaging with business and health care organizations in an effort to identify opportunities to partner on legislative and policy initiatives, as well as statewide and community projects involving health care and patient safety. Ms. Razon holds an MBA from Regis University and bachelors of science from Doane College. She is an active member of several organizations including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Competitive Council, and Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.

Ms. Stepien serves as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development and has been with Copic companies since 2007. Since joining Copic, she has held several positions and is now proud to lead five teams: Sales, Business Development, Market Relations, Copic Financial Services Group, and Corporate Marketing and Communications. In addition to her leadership of these teams, she also sits on Copic’s Operational Council. With her passion for people and 20 years of experience in the insurance space, she serves Copic and its customers by driving the strategic growth and expansion. Ms. Stepien holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Leadership/Change Management from Duquesne University and several other professional designations.

Shelly leads Copic’s Human Resources (HR) department and oversees initiatives such as HR training, consultation, and support for Copic insureds. She has more than 25 years of experience, serving as VP of Human Resources for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) prior to Copic. Shelly holds a master’s degree in Organization Leadership and Human Resources Management from Regis University and received her certification as a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is SHRM-SCP certified from the Society for Human Resources Management. Shelly sits on Copic’s Operational Council.

Doug Mason brings over 30 years of experience in the management of professional liability claims. This involves the management of complex medical malpractice claims nationwide from both an underlying as well as excess exposure. Doug joined Copic in 2012 and his previous experience included working for Zurich-American Insurance Group managing litigation of over 150 multi-line professional liability claims with an emphasis on medical malpractice nationwide, and working with Illinois Hospital Association as a Claims Supervisor. Doug earned a B.S. in Finance from Illinois State University and has the designation of Casualty Claim Law Associate by the American Educational Institute. He also chairs a panel of other medical professional liability companies to regularly discuss industry trends and the effects on the marketplace.

Jeffery Smith joined Copic in 2023 and his areas of practice include ratemaking, reserving, and work in mergers and acquisitions. He is the former Chief Actuary for the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance, but spent most of his 35-year career in the professional medical liability space working for some of the industry’s largest carriers including Medical Protective and NORCAL Mutual in reserving and pricing roles. Jeffery holds a BA degree in Mathematics from Indiana University, and an MS degree in Statistics from the University of Iowa. He holds the following designations—FCAS, MAAA, CPCU—and he has presented at several Casualty Actuarial Society meetings and presented at the 2023 Society of Financial Examiner’s meeting on “Actuarial Diagnostics in the Examination Process.”