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ISO 42001 and ISO 27001 Certification: Responsible AI & Secure Information At Mackman Group
Mackman Group has achieved certification to ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the international standard for artificial intelligence management systems, and ISO/IEC 27001:2022, the international standard for information security management systems.
The certifications apply across Mackman Group and its divisions, Mackman Branding and Marketing, Mackman Research and Red Kite HR. They follow our achievement of Cyber Essentials Plus earlier in September 2026.
Together, these standards strengthen the way we protect information, govern our use of artificial intelligence and provide assurance to the organisations that trust us with commercially sensitive work.
Why Responsible AI Matters
AI is already changing how organisations research, plan, create, communicate and make decisions. Access to the technology is no longer the difficult part. The harder questions concern governance.
Which tools may people use? What information can be shared with them? How are risks assessed? Who checks the output? When should AI not be used? Who remains accountable for the final work?
ISO describes ISO/IEC 42001 as the world’s first AI management system standard. It provides a structured approach to the risks and opportunities associated with AI, including accountability, transparency and responsible use.
For Mackman Group, the standard supports a clear principle. We use AI to strengthen professional capability, while people remain responsible for the quality, ethics and consequences of our work.
What Responsible AI Means in Practice
Certification represents the management system behind our work, rather than a general promise that we will use technology responsibly.
Our approach includes approved AI platforms, staff training, risk and impact assessments, supplier assessment, an organisational AI register and clear rules governing data and client confidentiality. We have defined prohibited uses and responsibilities for review and oversight. Ethical and environmental considerations form part of our decision making.
Human judgement remains essential. AI assisted work is subject to appropriate professional review, and accountability stays with Mackman people rather than passing to a system or supplier.
These controls will continue to develop as the technology, risks and expectations change. Continual improvement is a central part of both management standards.
Protecting The Information Entrusted To Us
ISO/IEC 27001 provides a structured system for identifying and managing information security risks. It addresses people, processes and technology, helping an organisation protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information it holds and processes.
This matters because our work can involve business strategy, customer and employee information, research data, brand assets, intellectual property, digital systems and plans that have not yet entered the public domain.
Cyber Essentials Plus adds another layer of assurance. Unlike the standard level of Cyber Essentials, it includes independent technical testing to verify that the required controls are working in practice.
The three certifications serve different purposes, but they support one another. Cyber Essentials Plus tests core technical protections. ISO/IEC 27001 provides the wider information security management system. ISO/IEC 42001 addresses the distinct governance questions created by AI.
Part of Our Approach To Responsible Business
These standards sit alongside commitments that have shaped Mackman Group over many years.
As a certified B Corporation, we consider the effects of our decisions on people, communities and the environment. As an MRS Company Partner and CIM Company Affiliate, and through the professional obligations followed by members of CIM, CIPR and MRS, we work within recognised expectations of competence, integrity and confidentiality.
B Corp certification explains much of why responsible practice matters to us. Professional codes guide the way our specialists work. ISO management systems provide the structure, governance and continual improvement that help us apply those principles consistently across the Group.
They are complementary sources of discipline and accountability, rather than a collection of logos.
A Whole Team Achievement
Achieving the standards required the involvement of the whole Mackman Group team. Colleagues reviewed everyday working practices, completed training, strengthened systems, documented responsibilities and embedded new controls across the business.
We particularly recognise Chloe Kichenbrand, our Group Operations Manager, for coordinating the operational work needed to turn the standards into consistent practice, and Adam Chamberlin, our Head of Development, for his leadership across systems, development, technical security and responsible technology use.
Bruce Burgoyne has helped lead the responsible practical adoption of AI within our creative, marketing and digital work. Dr Gemma Mackman has ensured that research integrity, participant protection, confidential information and evidence remain central to our approach. Every member of the team has contributed by learning, questioning and applying the system in their daily work.
Paul Mackman, Group Managing Director, said:
“AI brings real opportunities for our clients and our team, but those opportunities come with responsibilities. We wanted governance, information security and human accountability to develop at the same pace as our use of the technology. These certifications give clients independent evidence of the systems behind that commitment.
Chloe Kichenbrand, Group Operations Manager, said:
“The value of a management standard lies in what people do every day. This has been a collective effort to examine our processes, make responsibilities clear and ensure the controls work in practice. Certification is an important milestone, but continual improvement is the work that follows.”
What This Means For Clients
Clients do not need more technical terminology. They need confidence that a partner will handle their information carefully, use AI with proper controls and remain accountable for the work it delivers.
The certifications help us provide that assurance. They also make it easier for procurement and compliance teams to assess Mackman Group as a supplier.
We remain the same independent, personal consultancy. The difference is that our governance and assurance now reflect the expectations that larger organisations increasingly place upon trusted partners.
Mackman Group is certified to ISO/IEC 42001:2023 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 by Citation ISO Certification. Citation ISO Certification is accredited through ASCB and is not UKAS accredited.