Jacqui Merrington

Director of AI

Jacqui Merrington is leading a cultural transformation that positions AI not as a threat to journalism but as a catalyst for creativity, efficiency, and commercial growth.

Her strategy is rooted in storytelling, not engineering. As a lifelong journalist and editor, Jacqui brings a unique lens to technology. This year, while commuting from Devon and raising two young daughters, she completed a Master's in Journalism Innovation Leadership with distinction. Her thesis, "Who Cares If AI Writes The News?", explored the intersection of AI and journalism — the very challenge she now tackles daily. Since joining the commercial team less than two years ago, Jacqui has become the go-to AI leader. She's established a group of AI changemakers, runs training programmes, and shares regular communications to inspire and educate. She mentors aspiring journalism innovation and product leaders, ensuring the next generation understands AI's potential. Her innovations include AI-powered lead generation systems that surface real-time advertising opportunities based on market signals, and our first AI data product, combining sentiment analysis with journalistic expertise to give brands a deeper customer understanding. She's built custom AI productivity agents that help teams with campaign strategy and media planning, surfacing data and insights instantly. She's supported AI-powered campaigns for major clients, including Vodafone, and partnered with Sage on an AI literacy campaign in The i Paper and New Scientist. Jacqui's collaborative approach has bridged editorial, commercial, and technical teams and her ethical AI advocacy and industry speaking have influenced not just our business but the wider industry.