QualityAI appoints Kenny Small as UK managing director

QualityAI has appointed Kenny Small as UK Managing Director, succeeding Simon Pickersgill.

Small has been with the business for 13 years and most recently served as Global Leader and Senior Vice President of its Enterprise practice. In his new role, he will report to Chief Executive Officer Andrew Duncan.

The appointment comes as UK companies push beyond AI trials and seek to embed the technology in core operations and decision-making. That shift has increased demand for testing, assurance and engineering services designed to reduce the risks associated with AI systems in regulated and high-stakes environments.

Formerly known as Qualitest, QualityAI works with organisations in sectors including financial services, healthcare, utilities, telecoms, retail, government and defence. Its UK clients include BT Group, NHS England, Northumbrian Water and Yorkshire Water.

Small takes over after a period in the US, where he moved in 2018 to establish the company's Enterprise practice. That business grew tenfold in under a decade.

UK focus

The UK market is moving from AI experimentation towards broader deployment across customer service, business processes and operational systems. For software testing and quality engineering suppliers, that creates an opportunity to position themselves around trust, reliability and oversight rather than AI development itself.

QualityAI works with both AI model developers and enterprises introducing AI tools into live environments. Its work spans data, models, platforms, infrastructure and operational settings.

The group has also rebranded to align more closely with demand for AI assurance. The change from Qualitest to QualityAI reflects a stronger focus on helping organisations assess whether systems are ready for live use.

"I am delighted that Kenny will be taking on the role of UK Managing Director," said Andrew Duncan, Chief Executive Officer of QualityAI.

"He brings extensive knowledge of the business and a strong track record of building client relationships and developing high-performing teams. As UK enterprises move from experimenting with AI to scaling it, Kenny will play an important role in helping clients deploy with confidence and achieve proven results as we build on our opportunities in the UK market.

"I would also like to thank Simon for his contribution to QualityAI since 2016. His legacy is a strong one, with the UK division having delivered its best-ever performance under his tenure, and we wish him every success for the future."

Pickersgill served as UK Managing Director from 2023 until earlier this year, after joining the business in 2016.

Trust issue

The wider backdrop to the appointment is a market in which companies remain under pressure to show returns on AI spending. Businesses have expanded pilots and proof-of-concept work, but many have struggled to move projects into production at scale, especially where systems affect customer outcomes, regulated processes or operational resilience.

That has made confidence in AI behaviour a central issue for corporate buyers. Companies in sectors such as healthcare, financial services and public services face particular scrutiny because errors can have regulatory, financial or service-delivery consequences.

QualityAI recently said it had been recognised by Everest Group in its assessment of quality engineering services for AI applications and systems. The company operates across technology-led and regulated industries, reflecting where demand for external validation and testing is strongest.

Commenting on his appointment, Small said: "It's an honour to take on the role of UK Managing Director at QualityAI. Having spent 13 years with the business, I've seen first-hand how technology has evolved, but what has stayed consistent is that our clients still need confidence that the technology they depend on will deliver.

"AI takes that challenge to an entirely new level. UK enterprises are moving beyond experimentation and deploying AI at scale in critical business operations. The opportunity is enormous, but so is the importance of getting it right. Organisations need to know these technologies can be trusted and will deliver real business outcomes.

"Our evolution from Qualitest to QualityAI reflects that shift. We have the opportunity to take what we're learning from working with the organisations building AI, apply it to transform engineering and assurance, and help our clients adopt these technologies with confidence. I'm looking forward to working with our teams and clients across the UK to turn that potential into reality."