Covr Financial Technologies, an award-winning provider of digital insurance solutions, today announced the appointment of two senior executives to its leadership team: Sam Barnett as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Bob Klein as Chief Distribution Officer (CDO). Barnett and Klein founded VIBE Insurance Services together, and their VIBE team will be acqui-hired by Covr as part of the leadership transition.

The deal comes on the heels of Covr's recent merger with Optifino, joining Covr's robust operational and compliance infrastructure and Optifino's advanced AI-powered platform with the VIBE team's solid independent agency expertise and seasoned leadership.

"Following the Optifino–Covr merger this fall, I retained Sam and Bob's firm, VIBE Consulting Services, to help guide our transition," said David Kleinhandler, current CEO of Covr. "As we worked together, it became clear that the opportunity was larger. Their expertise, vision, and ability to execute made them the natural choice to run the newly merged company, and I approached them about joining full-time to help author our next chapter. I'm truly excited that they accepted, and look forward to our ongoing collaboration."

Barnett brings deep experience in client-centered strategies for insurers and insurtechs, including leadership roles at Global Atlantic and Lincoln Financial. At Global Atlantic, he established the company as a top provider of indexed universal life and drove annuity sales to more than $10 billion in 2023. In his 17-year tenure at Lincoln Financial, he helped maintain leading market share across the life insurance portfolio.

"This merger creates powerful synergies," said Michael Doniger, Chief Innovation Officer at Covr. "Our institutional distribution and compliance infrastructure perfectly complement Bob and Sam's independent-channel distribution. And when you layer in our strong carrier relationships with the tech firepower of the Covr–Optifino platform, we're giving advisors and agencies capabilities they've simply never had before."

Bob Klein is widely recognized for designing Lincoln Financial's groundbreaking MoneyGuard long-term care solution and has held senior leadership roles across insurance carriers Global Atlantic, Sun Life, and John Hancock, along with multiple distribution channels, including life brokerage, broker-dealer sales, linked benefits, group and voluntary benefits, and annuities.

"After working with David through their transition, we realized that this new version of Covr is exactly where we intended to grow," said Klein. "The merger allows us to plug our independent agency distribution into a next-gen platform and begin innovating immediately."

With Barnett's appointment as CEO, Kleinhandler will transition to Chairman of the Board, where he will focus on long-term vision, strategic guidance, and raising capital. The VIBE team also will join Covr, ensuring continuity for VIBE's independent-agency clients, who will now gain access to Covr's expanded resources, specialized support, and industry-leading operational capabilities.

"Bob and I founded VIBE to reimagine insurance distribution from the ground up," said incoming CEO Sam Barnett. "The industry is ready for a new model. After meeting David and Mike, it was clear that Covr's distribution reach, established infrastructure, and innovative technology create a rare opportunity to reshape how insurance is delivered. We're excited to build something transformational with Mike, David, and the incredible Covr team."