Spekk acquires Pablo and names AI chief

London-based digital agency Spekk has appointed Nick Boyce as chief technology and AI officer following its acquisition of adtech platform Pablo as the business accelerates investment in proprietary AI and automation capabilities.

Nick, founder of AI automation consultancy Trampoline and creator of Pablo, brings extensive experience across paid media, technology, data and artificial intelligence. 

In his newly created role, he will lead Spekk’s technology and AI strategy, overseeing the development of specialist tools designed to improve performance for high-consideration brands.

Pablo, an AI-powered workflow platform used by agencies and brands including Camper and Lovable, automates advertising workflows and campaign delivery. 

The acquisition will see its technology integrated with Spekk's existing systems to create a unified platform for paid media management.

Nick previously served as data and analytics director at social agency Spin Brands following the acquisition of his paid media agency, Pollenary, and also leads analysis for agency benchmarking platform BenchPress.

He said: “What drew me to Spekk is simple: it’s one of the most impressive independent agencies in the UK right now, and I don't say that lightly. 

“Through my work leading the analysis for the UK's largest agency benchmarking study, I have a strong view of how agencies across the market are performing, and Spekk is among the stand-out businesses. 

“Having worked closely with the team, I understand why. 

“Their specialisation in high-consideration brands gives them a clear point of difference, and the results speak for themselves.

“What particularly appealed to me about this role is that Spekk isn’t AI-washing its business. 

“The agency already has the right technical foundations, processes and vision in place, alongside a clear understanding of where AI can genuinely add value. 

“Rather than bolting generic tools onto existing workflows, we're focused on building specialist technology that’s embedded in how we work and delivers meaningful benefits for both our people and our clients. 

“That's still surprisingly rare, and it’s what I want to help build.”

The appointment and acquisition comes during a period of strong growth for Spekk, which recently secured a global agency of record brief for paid social and paid search from Joe & The Juice.

Måns Gårdfeldt, co-founder of Spekk, added: “From the moment we started working with Nick, it became clear how closely aligned we were in our thinking and ambitions. 

“He combines deep paid media expertise with an exceptional understanding of technology, data and AI, while sharing our belief that the most valuable technology is built around the specific challenges clients face, not simply the latest industry trend.

“The integration of Spekk's proprietary ad trafficking system with Pablo has already helped clients and teams save significant time while improving creative collaboration and execution. 

“Bringing Nick into the business and acquiring Pablo is the logical next step in that evolution.

“While many agencies are applying generic AI tools to existing workflows, we’re focused on building specialist AI designed for the needs of high-consideration brands, where the customer journey, decision-making process and media challenges are fundamentally different to those of mass-market advertisers. 

“Nick’s appointment strengthens our ability to create technology that delivers better performance and outcomes for our clients.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.