SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Acquirz has appointed Kevin Smith as Head of Data and AI and Kelly Merchant as Campaign Manager following its acquisition of Marketscan.

Smith joins the Cheltenham-based business with more than 20 years of experience in data, analytics and technology leadership. His background spans strategy, architecture, machine learning integration, data engineering, analytics, governance and insight delivery.

Merchant brings nearly 10 years of experience in customer relationship management and email marketing. Her work has included building automated customer journeys, personalised content, data-led segmentation and lifecycle marketing strategies across financial services and retail.

The appointments come during a period of expansion for Acquirz, which was founded in 2019. The company operates in B2B data services and email marketing, and recently acquired Marketscan, a UK data-led marketing business with a history of more than 40 years.

Growth phase

Smith will lead data and AI across the business, including embedding AI-led insight into operations for customer targeting, data enrichment and process automation.

Before joining Acquirz, he built his career from an apprentice database consultant role in 1999, later managing global teams and working on large-scale data projects.

Merchant’s appointment reflects Acquirz’s continued focus on campaign delivery for clients. Her CRM and email marketing experience includes work on campaign performance and audience engagement.

Acquirz offers managed email campaigns, self-service email marketing software, and data supply for direct mail, calling and email, alongside data cleansing, enrichment, analysis and segmentation. It also provides data licensing and wholesale services for reseller partners.

The business says its database covers more than three million companies and 2.5 million personal B2B email records. Its client base includes both large brands and smaller businesses.

Smith said: “Acquirz has built an impressive reputation for delivering award-winning services. From its data solutions and creative campaigns to its managed services, it is a brand well recognised for the breadth and accuracy of its data.

“I’m looking forward to building on this success and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the team, the business and customers.”

Merchant said: “I’m delighted to be working closely with Acquirz’s diverse client base. What attracted me most to the role is the opportunity to combine creativity with data in an environment that encourages new ideas and strategies. I’ve already learnt a lot from the team, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

Leadership view

Chris Skinner, Director and Co-founder of Acquirz, linked the appointments to the company’s broader expansion.

He said: “Since launching the business in 2019, we’ve focused on delivering innovative, award-winning solutions, whether that is B2B data, customer acquisition, managed email marketing or more bespoke support. That delivery is driven by the strength of our team, and we’re delighted to welcome Kevin and Kelly at a pivotal time for the business.

“Following our recent acquisition of Marketscan, and with strong growth and an exciting product pipeline, their expertise will play a key role in helping scale and drive the business forward.”

The latest hires underline Acquirz’s push to add senior staff as it integrates Marketscan and broadens its offering in data-led marketing and campaign services. Smith’s role signals a stronger focus on AI in internal operations and client work, while Merchant adds campaign management experience as the business expands.

Marketscan’s addition gives Acquirz a larger footprint in UK data-led marketing, combining a newer agency with a longer-established operator. Against that backdrop, the company is continuing to build out its management and delivery teams in Cheltenham.

New figures from Which? have named Aldi the cheapest supermarket for April, with savings that could cover the cost of a full bank holiday grill-up.

According to the analysis, shoppers could save:

• £25+ compared to Asda
• £26.34 compared to Tesco with Clubcard
• £31.63 compared to Sainsbury’s with Nectar
• £32.54 compared to Morrisons
• £69.27 compared to Waitrose

The comparison was based on a basket of 96 everyday grocery items.

The ‘free BBQ’ shop explained

The savings are enough to cover a full family BBQ for four, costing around £23.25 in total at Aldi.

That includes:

• burgers and buns
• sausages and chicken
• halloumi burgers
• corn on the cob
• sides like coleslaw and potato salad
• sauces and cheese

It works out at just £5.81 per person, less than the savings from switching supermarkets.

With warmer weather and bank holidays approaching, many households are planning outdoor meals, but food costs remain a major concern.

The figures suggest switching where you shop could make a noticeable difference, especially over time.

The full price comparison

Which? ranked supermarkets by average basket price:

• Aldi £172.77
• Lidl £175.20 with loyalty discount
• Asda £197.91
• Tesco £199.11 with Clubcard
• Sainsbury’s £204.40 with Nectar
• Morrisons £205.31
• Ocado £224.84
• Waitrose £242.04

Recommended reading:

How much could you save in a year?

Switching from pricier supermarkets to Aldi could save shoppers over £380 a year, based on regular shopping.

Aldi says the results show that low prices matter more than loyalty schemes, with savings applied directly at the checkout rather than through points.

For some shoppers this month, it could mean firing up the BBQ without spending anything extra.

Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Being named the UK’s cheapest supermarket once again is great news for our shoppers – especially when everyone is looking to make their money go further.

“At Aldi, we don’t invest in loyalty schemes, we invest in lower prices, for everyone, every time; proving that points don’t make your weekly shop cheaper – Aldi does.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

ISACA has published research showing that 35% of European organisations cannot say whether they have been hit by an AI-powered cyberattack, highlighting weak visibility over a fast-growing security risk across the region.

A survey of 681 digital trust professionals in Europe found that 71% believe AI-powered phishing and social engineering attacks are harder to detect. Another 58% said AI has made it significantly harder to authenticate digital information, while 38% reported declining trust in traditional threat detection methods.

The findings add detail to broader concern among businesses and policymakers about the effect of artificial intelligence on cyber risk. ISACA’s data suggests many organisations are struggling to keep pace not only with AI-enabled attacks, but also with the internal controls needed to oversee the technology’s use in day-to-day work.

Detection gap

Misinformation and disinformation emerged as the top AI-related risk in the survey, cited by 87% of respondents. Privacy violations followed at 75%, while 60% identified social engineering as a major concern.

At the same time, respondents reported that AI is helping defensive work. Some 43% said it has improved their organisation’s ability to detect and respond to cyber threats, and 34% are already deploying AI specifically to support cybersecurity efforts.

That contrast runs through the results. Businesses are adopting AI tools at scale, but governance appears to be lagging, leaving gaps in oversight and raising concern over misuse.

Across European workplaces, 82% of organisations said they expressly permit AI use and 74% permit generative AI in particular. The most common uses were creating written content, cited by 69%, increasing productivity at 63%, automating repetitive tasks at 54%, and analysing large datasets at 52%.

Many also reported practical gains. Time savings were cited by 77% of respondents, while 40% said AI had increased capacity without additional headcount.

Policy shortfall

Despite AI’s spread in routine operations, only 42% of organisations said they have a formal, comprehensive AI policy in place. The survey also found that 33% do not require employees to disclose when AI has contributed to work products.

That lack of formal controls is feeding concern among professionals responsible for risk, governance and cybersecurity. According to the poll, 87% are worried about employees using AI in an unauthorised capacity. Another 26% said their biggest challenge with AI at work is a lack of trust that it adequately protects intellectual property and sensitive information.

Chris Dimitriadis set out ISACA’s view of the trend.

“AI has fundamentally changed the threat landscape. Attackers can now hack at the speed of intent, and too many organisations don’t even know whether they’ve already been on the receiving end. The fact that so many businesses are operating without the governance to see where AI is being used, let alone how, makes that exposure significantly worse.”

“Ungoverned AI doesn’t just create operational risk. It actively hands an advantage to those who want to cause harm. Closing that gap starts with professional development and advancing the expertise needed to build and embed AI governance that stands up under pressure. Doing so is now a security imperative,” said Dimitriadis, Chief Global Strategy Officer at ISACA.

Skills pressure

The survey suggests the burden of responding to this shift is falling on staff who do not feel fully prepared. More than half of respondents, 54%, said they need to upskill within the next six months to retain their job or advance their career. Over the next year, that figure rose to 79%.

Skills were also identified as a strategic risk. Some 41% named the growing skills gap as one of the biggest risks posed by AI, yet 21% said their organisations still provide no formal AI training.

Regulation is another area where implementation appears uneven. The EU AI Act was the most widely referenced governance framework in the survey, cited by 45% of organisations. NIST followed at 26%.

Even so, 26% of organisations said they do not yet follow any framework. That points to a gap between awareness of regulation and the practical steps needed to embed governance, training and oversight.

Dimitriadis said the challenge is not a departure from established risk management principles, but a test of whether organisations can apply them quickly enough in a more complex environment.

“The fundamentals of good risk management have not changed. What has changed is the complexity and speed of what practitioners are now being asked to govern. AI risk requires professionals who can evaluate exposure, embed oversight across the full lifecycle, and advise on regulatory best practice. Organisations that invest in that capability now will not only be better protected; they will also be better placed to fully realise AI’s benefits. That is the shift credentials like ISACA’s Advanced in AI Risk credential are designed to deliver,” Dimitriadis said.