Emerge Digital names new executive team for growth

Emerge Digital has appointed a new executive leadership team as the Gloucestershire technology provider reports turnover of GBP £4.5 million.

The reshaped leadership group includes Tom Henson as Chief Operating Officer, Mark Atkinson as Chief Revenue Officer, Mel Cheeseman as Chief Experience Officer and Phil Waters as fractional Chief Financial Officer. Nigel Church remains Chief Executive Officer.

Turnover rose 40% over the past 12 months. Headcount increased to 24, while the number of supported users rose by 30% over the same period.

The appointments formalise a restructuring at the business, which provides managed services and technology support to small and mid-market organisations. Henson previously served as Managing Director, while Atkinson joined in 2024 after a career in professional rugby.

Cheeseman joins the executive team with more than 35 years of experience in leadership, business operations and marketing. Waters previously served as Managing Director at Croft MSP, where he built a GBP £40 million business, according to Emerge Digital.

Growth phase

The leadership changes come during a period of expansion across both service lines and geography. Over the past two years, Emerge Digital has built a regional position in AI implementation and is also expanding in South Wales.

That push in Wales includes work for national brewery SA Brains and is being led by Sales Director Alex Cuthbert, a former Wales international and British and Irish Lions player. The company is also working with Cardiff-based PureCyber as it expands its cyber security offering.

Alongside the executive changes, Steve Brady has been appointed Head of Innovation. The role covers AI strategy, service development and client experience.

Emerge Digital was certified as a B Corporation earlier this year. It has also appeared in industry rankings for managed service providers and won a cyber and IT business award.

Leadership focus

The new team will focus on emerging technologies, automation, cyber security and service development as Emerge Digital adapts to changing client demand. The structure also reflects a broader emphasis on operational delivery, revenue growth, finance and customer experience.

For managed service providers, that mix is increasingly important as customers seek advice on AI adoption alongside more established needs such as IT support, cloud systems and cyber security. Smaller providers in particular have been widening their service ranges as businesses look for fewer suppliers and more integrated technology support.

That backdrop has helped create demand for firms that can combine consultancy, implementation and ongoing support. Emerge Digital said its OnyxAI Human in the Loop programme is designed to help organisations adopt AI with a people-led approach.

Church outlined the rationale for the appointments in a statement on the new structure.

“When I look at our executive team, where they've come from and what their capabilities are, I truly believe it's a team capable of delivering on our ambitions of becoming one of the leading managed services and technology partners nationally.

“It's not just their experience either, they genuinely care. They are all people-centric individuals, and everything they do has our clients and our team at its heart. That's the culture we've got within the business, and each appointment has been made with these principles firmly in mind.

“Our new executive structure is designed to ensure the service and support we are well known for is maintained through our next phase of growth. The future is looking incredibly bright, and I can't wait to see what our whole Emerge Digital team is able to deliver for our clients over the coming years.”

Nigel Church, Chief Executive Officer of Emerge Digital, said.