Manuka has appointed James Darrall as Chief Executive Officer for EMEA, strengthening its global leadership team as the business scales across the region.
James joins Manuka after eight years at Zendesk, where he built the company's first industry vertical, Fintech, before helping establish Travel & Transport, Retail and Leisure.
At Manuka, his focus will be to scale the EMEA business while retaining the specialist technical and delivery depth on which the company has been built.
Turning Data & AI strategy into production
Manuka is a specialist Data & AI consultancy helping organisations turn strategy into production capability and measurable business outcomes.
We work across data strategy, architecture, engineering, analytics and AI, supporting organisations from initial strategy and business case through implementation, productionisation and ongoing operation.
With deep Databricks expertise across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, our teams help organisations modernise data platforms, unify and govern enterprise data, redesign high-value processes and build AI-powered systems capable of operating reliably at scale.
James's appointment reflects a broader challenge facing enterprises as access to increasingly capable Data & AI technology expands.
The question is becoming less about whether the technology is available and more about whether organisations can determine where it creates material value, build the foundations required to deploy it and convert technical capability into measurable business outcomes.
"AI capability is becoming increasingly accessible. The harder problem for enterprises is converting that capability into measurable business value and retaining enough of that value for the investment to matter."
James Darrall, CEO, EMEA, Manuka
James will bring together business strategy, technical expertise and delivery capability across the EMEA business, helping customers make better investment decisions and take high-value Data & AI initiatives from decision through to production and operation at scale.
Evolving Manuka's global leadership
The appointment also marks the next stage in Manuka's leadership structure.
Founder Gareth Martin will lead Manuka's technical direction as Chief Data & AI Officer, while Neha Sharma leads the business in the US and Stephen Aitken leads Australia and New Zealand.
"Manuka has always been built around deep Data & AI expertise and solving difficult problems for our customers. As we scale, we need to strengthen that capability without losing what makes the business distinctive."
Gareth Martin, Founder and CTO, Manuka
Manuka now has teams spanning the UK, UAE, the US, Australia and New Zealand and is backed by tquila, which has a track record of building and scaling specialist technology services businesses.
Backed by tquila
Manuka is backed by tquila, a business accelerator focused on services companies across AI, Data and software implementation. tquila has previously built, scaled and exited specialist technology services businesses and is supporting Manuka’s international expansion.
About Manuka
Manuka is a specialist Data & AI consultancy helping organisations turn strategy into production capability and measurable business outcomes.
With deep Databricks expertise across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, Manuka works across data strategy, architecture, engineering, analytics and AI, supporting organisations from strategy and business case through implementation, productionisation and ongoing operation.
Manuka has teams spanning the UK, Dubai, the US, Australia and New Zealand and is backed by tquila.
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