Blend Insurance Solutions, owned by AI-focused insurtech Kaibridge, has appointed Melanie Hoffmann as head of Accident and Health. 

Ms Hoffmann has more than two decades' experience across underwriting and broking and was previously Chubb’s southern region manager for accident and health. 

Kaibridge, led by former Steadfast COO Nigel Fitzgerald and ex-AIG Australia CEO Grant Cairns, said earlier this year it had acquired Blend and would overhaul its technology. 

Mr Cairns, CEO of Blend, says the agency is matching top-tier talent with better tools. 

“Mel brings the depth and the relationships,” he said. “By removing the technical barriers that usually get in an underwriter's way, we’re giving her the platform to deliver exactly what brokers deserve: fast, precise, and bespoke solutions.” 

A&H products will be the first to go live as Blend transitions to its new platform, providing a template for the agency’s expansion in new commercial classes early next year. 

“The industry is at a turning point as technology unlocks smarter ways to work," Ms Hoffmann said. “Blend is acting as the pilot for a genuinely different, AI-native approach.” 

Blend was previously owned by Steadfast and Fairfax after launching in 2017.