Clarity. Direction. Confidence.

Helping leadership teams make better strategic decisions and determine how products, services and technologies should evolve.

Clarity. Direction. Confidence.

Helping leadership teams make better strategic decisions and determine how products, services and technologies should evolve.

We help organizations reduce uncertainty, evaluate opportunities, and make better strategic decisions—then translate them into focused action.

Selected organizations

Leadership teams rarely struggle because they lack ideas.

More often, they're navigating competing signals, conflicting priorities, increasing complexity, and pressure to move quickly.

Markets evolve.
Customer expectations shift.
Technologies advance.
Competitors raise the standard.

The challenge isn't simply deciding what to build—it's continually making better decisions about how products, services, and technologies should evolve, where to focus, which opportunities deserve investment, and when change is required.

Advisory areas

Senior advisory across four core domains—where judgment, evidence, and strategic trade-offs matter most.

Discovery, Evidence & Insight

Generating and interpreting customer, market, competitive, and stakeholder evidence that reduces uncertainty and strengthens strategic decision-making.

Strategic Direction

Translating evidence into clear product, service, technology, portfolio, and commercialization direction—helping leadership teams determine how existing and next-generation offerings should evolve with confidence.

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leadership teams evaluate opportunities, priorities, investments, strategic trade-offs, and the future direction of products, services, and technologies.

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leadership teams evaluate opportunities, priorities, investments, strategic trade-offs, and the future direction of products, services, and technologies.

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leadership teams evaluate opportunities, priorities, investments, strategic trade-offs, and the future direction of products, services, and technologies.

Activation: Alignment & Action

Translating strategic decisions into clear priorities, guiding principles, roadmaps, and next steps that align leadership teams and accelerate confident execution.

The cost of building the wrong thing—or pursuing the wrong opportunity—is often measured in years, not months.

Leaders typically bring me in when

• They want an independent external perspective informed by pattern recognition developed across 100s of product, innovation, and strategic decisions.

• They're deciding how an established product, service, or platform should evolve to remain competitive.

• Momentum is building around assumptions that haven't been tested.

• Multiple opportunities compete for attention.

• Customer, market, technology, and commercial signals point in different directions.

• They're evaluating new products, services, technologies, markets, or strategic investments.

• The next strategic direction hasn't been sufficiently validated.

• They need greater clarity before deciding where to focus next.

• Progress has slowed because the next direction isn't clear.

When strategic decisions carry long-term consequences, clarity becomes a competitive advantage.

How I work

Every engagement is tailored but these principles remain consistent.

Structured at the executive level

Engaging decision-makers early to ensure ownership, alignment, and momentum.

Evidence-led

Grounding decisions in real customer, market, competitive, and organizational evidence, not assumptions.

Systems-aware

Connecting customer needs, technology, commercial realities, and organizational priorities.

Clarity-driven

Turning complexity into focused priorities, strategic direction, and confident decisions.

Outcome-oriented

Ensuring insight leads to meaningful action rather than simply better analysis.

International

Supporting organizations across Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, and global markets.

About

Over more than two decades, I've worked across SaaS, AI, enterprise software, industrial technology, OceanTech, HealthTech, ClimateTech, Energy, automation, and public-sector innovation.

Rather than specializing in a single industry, I've developed cross-industry pattern recognition and judgment—helping leadership teams determine how products, services, and technologies should evolve, identify opportunities, evaluate strategic trade-offs, reduce uncertainty, and make better strategic decisions.

Earlier in my career, I led Product, UX Research & Product Design, Service Design and Marketing Communications. That experience continues to inform my advisory work, ensuring recommendations are practical, actionable, and grounded in the realities of execution.

Today, I advise growth-stage companies, established technology firms, industrial organizations, public-sector innovators, and global enterprises across Canada, the United States, Europe, and international markets.

If you'd like to explore whether there's a fit, I'd be glad to connect.

Connect

Testimonials

What client partners say about working together:

Co-Founder, VP of Software & Technology
OceanTech Client
"Niamh has been an invaluable partner in helping us level up how we approach Product. She is bringing structure and clarity to a complex and high-stakes area, helping us move to a more repeatable, insight-driven process. She is collaborative, commercially aware, and able to translate ambiguity into action. Her support is also extending into high-priority business development efforts. I’d recommend her to any team looking to grow with more focus and confidence - especially in complex or technical domains."
Vice President
Habanero Consulting Group
"Niamh was a trusted partner of ours for a number of years since 2010 — providing senior experience design leadership and consulting. Niamh was an absolute delight to work with. She worked from our Vancouver and Calgary offices with our clients across the country, and even joined us on site in Toronto for a couple of months on an exciting initiative for Toronto Pearson Airport. I would absolutely recommend Niamh."
Product Insights & UXR Leader
MetaLab
“We've continued to return to Niamh when we need expert, strategic support on complex projects. She is able to quickly make sense of any industry and any project. I recommend working with her when you get the chance.”
Co-Founder & CEO
HealthTech start-up
"Niamh's expertise has been instrumental in continuing to shape the evolution of our product. From auditing our current application, to helping our team align on a product strategy and guiding principles, and then leading the overhaul of the UX and design, the work has made a significant impact. She truly understands our business goals and customer needs, translating them into actionable strategies. We now have a more user-centric, efficient, and competitive product that our customers will truly appreciate as we continue to evolve. She has helped significantly elevate our offering. Her leadership was invaluable!"
Co-Founder & CSO
Intercom
"Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experienced. An asset to any company or client lucky to have her on board.”
Principal Designer
Slack; prev. Google
“I had the pleasure of working with Niamh on a client project focused on researching exploratory design concepts with users. Working to a tight deadline, Niamh hit the ground running. She was able to parachute into the team and get to the heart of what we needed to learn exceptionally quickly. She has the incredible ability to soak up information, produce detailed insights and ask thought-provoking questions. But more importantly, she’s able to cut through the noise and get to the ‘so what?’
Director, Marketing & Digital Experience
BC-based University
“Niamh’s expertise is both deep and broad: from design and product management to strategy and organizational planning, I am fortunate to have engaged Nova Ray for a project to lead our team through the process of developing a vision, strategy and roadmap for our core web property. I would highly recommend engaging Niamh’s services at Nova Ray to anyone looking to solve complex product and UX problems, or to level up their team.”
Product & Technology Leader
Meta
“Niamh was a great partner. Her support and final recommendations were very thorough, I felt like I was there with users.”
President
UX Design Studio
“Niamh quickly became one of the leaders of product, UX and design in Vancouver; she worked for a number of high-profile organizations and contributed to industry events. She’s been on the forefront of advocating for UX in the community.   Clients are always impressed with her professionalism, knowledge, and ability to deliver quality results. Recommended to anyone who needs a senior and strategic UX & product thinker who has the experience to tackle complex projects.”

Co-Founder, VP of Software & Technology
OceanTech Client
"Niamh has been an invaluable partner in helping us level up how we approach Product. She is bringing structure and clarity to a complex and high-stakes area, helping us move to a more repeatable, insight-driven process. She is collaborative, commercially aware, and able to translate ambiguity into action. Her support is also extending into high-priority business development efforts. I’d recommend her to any team looking to grow with more focus and confidence - especially in complex or technical domains."
Vice President
Habanero Consulting Group
"Niamh was a trusted partner of ours for a number of years since 2010 — providing senior experience design leadership and consulting. Niamh was an absolute delight to work with. She worked from our Vancouver and Calgary offices with our clients across the country, and even joined us on site in Toronto for a couple of months on an exciting initiative for Toronto Pearson Airport. I would absolutely recommend Niamh."
Product Insights & UXR Leader
MetaLab
“We've continued to return to Niamh when we need expert, strategic support on complex projects. She is able to quickly make sense of any industry and any project. I recommend working with her when you get the chance.”
Co-Founder & CEO
HealthTech start-up
"Niamh's expertise has been instrumental in continuing to shape the evolution of our product. From auditing our current application, to helping our team align on a product strategy and guiding principles, and then leading the overhaul of the UX and design, the work has made a significant impact. She truly understands our business goals and customer needs, translating them into actionable strategies. We now have a more user-centric, efficient, and competitive product that our customers will truly appreciate as we continue to evolve. She has helped significantly elevate our offering. Her leadership was invaluable!"
Co-Founder & CSO
Intercom
"Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experienced. An asset to any company or client lucky to have her on board.”
Principal Designer
Slack; prev. Google
“I had the pleasure of working with Niamh on a client project focused on researching exploratory design concepts with users. Working to a tight deadline, Niamh hit the ground running. She was able to parachute into the team and get to the heart of what we needed to learn exceptionally quickly. She has the incredible ability to soak up information, produce detailed insights and ask thought-provoking questions. But more importantly, she’s able to cut through the noise and get to the ‘so what?’
Director, Marketing & Digital Experience
BC-based University
“Niamh’s expertise is both deep and broad: from design and product management to strategy and organizational planning, I am fortunate to have engaged Nova Ray for a project to lead our team through the process of developing a vision, strategy and roadmap for our core web property. I would highly recommend engaging Niamh’s services at Nova Ray to anyone looking to solve complex product and UX problems, or to level up their team.”
Product & Technology Leader
Meta
“Niamh was a great partner. Her support and final recommendations were very thorough, I felt like I was there with users.”
President
UX Design Studio
“Niamh quickly became one of the leaders of product, UX and design in Vancouver; she worked for a number of high-profile organizations and contributed to industry events. She’s been on the forefront of advocating for UX in the community.   Clients are always impressed with her professionalism, knowledge, and ability to deliver quality results. Recommended to anyone who needs a senior and strategic UX & product thinker who has the experience to tackle complex projects.”

Working Together

What kinds of organizations do you typically work with?

I typically work with founders, executive leadership teams, innovation leaders, and heads of product, technology, and commercial functions who are navigating important strategic decisions about products, services, technologies, markets, and investments. Most engagements involve organizations operating in complex or rapidly evolving environments where uncertainty, opportunity, and strategic trade-offs need to be carefully evaluated before significant commitments are made. Typical clients include: - Growth-stage companies preparing for their next phase. - Established technology firms and tech-enabled organizations evolving products, platforms, and services. - Organizations evaluating new technologies, markets, and capabilities. - In-house innovvation teams, public-sector innovators and mission-driven organizations. - Leadership teams making significant product, technology, commercialization, or investment decisions.

What types of engagements are the best fit?

How do engagements typically begin?

Do you take on execution or delivery work?

Do you offer ongoing support?

Who is Nova Ray not the right fit for?

How is Nova Ray different from a consulting firm or other agency?