Who is responsible for your information.

Meridian Elevate is the trading name of Charlie Owen, operating as a sole trader in the United Kingdom.

Where Meridian Elevate determines why and how personal information is processed, Charlie Owen trading as Meridian Elevate acts as the data controller.

Privacy enquiries and requests relating to personal information can be sent to: charlie@meridianelevate.co.uk

The information we may process.

Depending on your relationship with Meridian Elevate, we may collect and process:

• Name and professional job title.
• Company or organisation name.
• Business email address.
• Business telephone number.
• Country or business location.
• Package or service interest.
• Information submitted through our website enquiry form.
• Business correspondence and meeting notes.
• CRM records and contact history.
• Commercial opportunities and expressions of interest.
• Information necessary to provide services to Meridian Elevate clients.
• Website usage and technical information collected through analytics technologies where permitted.

Information you provide directly.

When you submit an enquiry through the Meridian Elevate website, we may collect your name, email address, company name, country, package interest and the information contained within your message.

We use this information to respond to your enquiry, understand your commercial requirements and, where appropriate, discuss Meridian Elevate services with you.

Business information may come from public sources.

Meridian Elevate may identify potential business contacts using publicly available professional and corporate information.

Sources may include company websites, Companies House, LinkedIn, search engines, business directories, corporate publications and other publicly accessible professional sources.

Information obtained may include a person's name, professional role, company, business email address, business telephone number and information relevant to their professional responsibilities or organisation.

Meridian Elevate primarily seeks to engage relevant senior business contacts, including company directors, sales directors and other appropriate commercial decision-makers.

Why we process business information.

Personal information may be used to:

• Respond to enquiries.
• Prepare proposals and quotations.
• Provide contracted Meridian Elevate services.
• Maintain client and prospect records.
• Arrange and manage business meetings.
• Identify businesses that may have a relevant commercial interest in Meridian Elevate services.
• Contact appropriate business decision-makers by business email, telephone or professional communication channels where permitted.
• Share Meridian Elevate articles, commercial insights and service information with relevant business contacts where lawful.
• Manage payments and business records.
• Maintain records of marketing preferences and objections.
• Understand and improve our website and services.
• Comply with legal, regulatory and accounting obligations.

Our legal reasons for processing information.

Depending on the circumstances, Meridian Elevate may process personal information on the basis of:

• Contract — where processing is necessary to take steps requested before entering into a contract or to provide agreed services.
• Legitimate interests — where processing is reasonably necessary for our B2B commercial activities, including identifying relevant corporate prospects, communicating with appropriate business decision-makers, developing commercial relationships, operating our business and protecting our business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the individual's rights and freedoms.
• Legal obligation — where information must be processed or retained to comply with applicable legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirements.
• Consent — where consent is required or where we choose to rely upon consent for a particular activity. Consent may be withdrawn where applicable.

Relevant B2B communication.

Meridian Elevate conducts business-to-business commercial development. This may include contacting directors, sales directors and other relevant business decision-makers where we reasonably believe our services or commercial content may be relevant to their organisation.

Communication may include business email, telephone, LinkedIn or other appropriate professional communication channels, subject to applicable data protection and electronic marketing requirements.

Where personal information has been obtained from a public source, we will provide or make available appropriate privacy information as required by applicable law.

Preventing unwanted future contact.

Where an individual or authorised business representative asks us not to contact them for marketing purposes, we may retain the minimum information necessary on a suppression or do-not-contact record. This is used solely to help ensure that the marketing preference is respected and that the person is not inadvertently contacted again.

Information processed on behalf of clients.

As part of a contracted engagement, an international client may provide Meridian Elevate with business contact information, prospect lists, CRM information or other commercial data required to perform agreed UK business development activities.

Depending on the circumstances, Meridian Elevate may process this information on the client's instructions and on the client's behalf.

Where required, responsibilities relating to such processing may be further defined within the applicable client agreement or data processing arrangements.

Technology used to operate Meridian Elevate.

We may use third-party technology and service providers to operate our website and business. Depending on how you interact with us, these may include:

• Formspree — website enquiry processing.
• Zoho Mail — business email.
• Zoho CRM — customer and prospect relationship management.
• PayPal — payment processing.
• Google Analytics — website analytics.
• Microsoft Clarity — website interaction analytics.
• Microsoft Teams — business meetings and communication.
• WhatsApp — business communication where appropriate.
• LinkedIn — professional networking and B2B communication.

These providers may process information in accordance with their own terms and privacy arrangements and, where they process information on our behalf, applicable contractual and data protection requirements.

Understanding how our website is used.

Meridian Elevate may use Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to understand website usage, traffic sources and visitor interaction.

Non-essential analytics technologies will be managed in accordance with applicable consent requirements. Further information is provided in our Cookie Policy.

Technology may assist our commercial processes.

Meridian Elevate may use artificial intelligence and automation tools to assist with internal processes, research, segmentation, drafting, analysis and outbound commercial activity.

Where AI or automation materially affects the way personal information is processed within a client service, Meridian Elevate will provide appropriate information to the client and implement relevant safeguards where required.

Meridian Elevate does not currently use solely automated processing to make decisions about individuals that produce legal or similarly significant effects without appropriate human involvement.

Meridian Elevate operates internationally.

Meridian Elevate works with international businesses and may communicate with individuals and organisations located outside the United Kingdom.

Some technology providers used by Meridian Elevate may also process or store information outside the UK. Where applicable, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate protections or lawful transfer mechanisms are in place.

We do not intend to keep information indefinitely.

Personal information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking into account our commercial, contractual, legal and regulatory obligations.

Client, contractual, payment and accounting records may be retained for up to six years following the end of the relevant business relationship where reasonably required for legal, tax, accounting or record-keeping purposes.

Prospect and business-development information will be periodically reviewed and may be deleted or anonymised when it is no longer reasonably required for a relevant commercial purpose.

Minimal suppression information may be retained for longer where necessary to respect a request not to receive further marketing.

Your information remains subject to data protection rights.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of information in certain circumstances.
• Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• Object to certain processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object to direct marketing at any time.
• Request transfer of certain information where the right to data portability applies.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies upon consent.

To exercise a data protection right, contact charlie@meridianelevate.co.uk.

Raising a privacy concern.

If you have a concern about how Meridian Elevate has handled your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to address it.

You also have the right to raise a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office where applicable.

Meridian Elevate is a B2B service.

Meridian Elevate provides business-to-business services and is not intended for children or individuals under the age of 18.