CloudWize appoints commercial chief

London-founded AI firm CloudWize has appointed Tim Mercer as chief commercial officer following its expansion into Leeds.

The fast-growing technology business, established in 2023, has taken space at Leeds Dock’s Department as it builds its northern presence. 

Tim joins from Yorkshire-based Vapour, where he served as chief executive prior to its sale last summer.

With more than 30 years’ experience in technology, he has held senior sales leadership roles and led Vapour through multiple funding rounds, expanding its cloud and cybersecurity offering.

Tim said: “When I sold Vapour last year, I was very honest in saying I didn’t know where my career would take me next. 

“But the more I spoke to the CloudWize team, the more I realised the potential.  

“In a crowded space, many people are overwhelmed if not tired of hearing about AI. 

“But as a former chief executive, with decades of experience procuring solutions for both clients and my own business, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this.  

“Ed and Matt have assembled an A-team of people who have worked on some of the most complex cloud, automation and AI projects in the world – what most people consider innovation, they’ve already industrialised. 

“And now, they’ve purposefully made these enterprise-grade capabilities accessible for mid-market firms who want to move faster, with predictable outcomes and far less risk.  

“They’ve really levelled the playing field for clients who don’t want to pay to just experiment.” 

CloudWize is led by co-founders Edward Humphrey and Matt Hyde and employs a team of 30 developers, engineers and architects. 

Tim’s appointment strengthens its senior leadership team as the business targets further growth and additional technical hires in Leeds.

Edward added: “Having attended a couple of the region’s digital conferences, we held a pilot event of our own in the city last Autumn. 

“This after work social – AI Chat Club – quickly started to gather momentum and we found ourselves talking to so many investors, partners and prospective clients. 

“We soon realised just how much talent, innovation and spirit exists in this part of the country, so when we decided to bolster our senior team, it made sense for Leeds to become our ‘second home’. 

“I’m really excited for Tim to support our journey to the next level.” 

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →