Mutual of Omaha has hired Chetan D. Kandhari as chief information officer, pulling him from Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. where he served as chief AI and digital transformation officer and co-sponsored the company's Executive Steering Committee for AI. The appointment puts a veteran of one of the industry's largest AI investment programmes in charge of technology strategy at a carrier serving more than 5.6 million individual customers and 54,000 employer groups.
Kandhari spent two decades at Nationwide, which committed $5 billion to technology modernisation since 2015 and earmarked a further $1.5 billion for AI and digital work through 2028 - more than a fifth of it designated specifically for AI. Chairman and CEO James Blackledge called Kandhari "a respected technology and transformation executive who has led large-scale modernisation, digital innovation and enterprise technology strategy."
What the hire signals about AI priorities
For group benefits brokers working with Mutual of Omaha's life, disability, dental and supplemental health products, the practical question is where AI investment surfaces first. The functions that most directly affect broker experience - enrollment processing accuracy, billing reconciliation, claims adjudication speed, and eligibility data quality - are typically where carriers see the earliest operational gains from AI. Nationwide's programme under Kandhari touched multiple business lines. Whether Mutual of Omaha follows a similar path or directs resources first toward underwriting and actuarial modelling remains an open question.
The timing matters because the gap between large and midsize carriers on AI deployment is measurable. Research from Datos Insights published in April found nearly 80% of large insurers have rolled out AI-assisted or autonomous processing workflows, with about half running AI across more than one business function. Midsize carriers report similar initiatives at roughly 67%, and few have extended those programmes across multiple functions. Mutual of Omaha sits in a space where that gap is real, and Kandhari's background signals an attempt to close it.
Two AI-minded appointments in the same year
This is not the company's first move in this direction. Late last year, Mutual of Omaha named Stacy Scholtz - a veteran of the firm since 1991 - as chief operating officer, with business transformation and AI enablement built directly into her remit alongside retail solutions and corporate operations. Two senior appointments carrying an AI brief within the same year suggest the company is working to close the gap on two fronts simultaneously: technology infrastructure and operational execution.
The hire also lands just after a significant structural shift. Mutual of Omaha completed its conversion into a mutual holding company on April 1, making it the second-largest US life mutual insurance holding company by gross premium volume, behind only Pacific Mutual Holding Co., according to S&P Global data. Policyholders backed the move overwhelmingly. The new structure provides access to cheaper capital and greater financial flexibility without altering the mutual ownership model. For brokers recommending carriers based on long-term financial strength, a company strengthening its capital position while investing in AI capability is a different proposition from one doing either in isolation.
The compliance framework taking shape
None of this sits outside regulation. As of early 2026, 23 states and Washington, D.C. had adopted the NAIC's model bulletin on AI use in insurance, with a national AI evaluation tool piloting across 12 states. Any underwriting or claims decision Mutual of Omaha's systems produce will need to hold up under that framework. Group benefits brokers placing business there may increasingly need to explain data-driven eligibility or claims decisions to plan administrators and members - not just a rate.
Kandhari joined Nationwide in 2005 and held roles including SVP and CIO for Enterprise Applications and CIO for Personal Lines and Direct Distribution. Earlier in his career, he worked in consulting at Ernst & Young and Diamond Technology Partners. For technology leaders navigating similar transformations, resources like the AI Learning Path for CIOs offer structured guidance on AI strategy and infrastructure decisions. Broader developments in AI for Insurance continue to reshape claims processing, underwriting, and risk assessment across the sector.
Why this matters for insurance professionals
Carrier technology leadership changes rarely make headlines outside the C-suite. But when a company serving 54,000 employer groups hires someone who helped steer a $1.5 billion AI investment programme, the downstream effects on enrollment, billing and claims tools deserve attention. Brokers and plan administrators should watch for improvements in processing accuracy and turnaround times in the next 12 to 18 months - the functions where AI investment typically shows up first - and prepare for the compliance conversations that will accompany more automated decision-making in underwriting and claims.
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