Clarity. Direction. Confidence.

Helping leadership teams determine what to build or change, where to focus, and which opportunities deserve investment.

Clarity. Direction. Confidence.

Helping leadership teams determine what to build or change, where to focus, and which opportunities deserve investment.

Leadership teams rarely struggle because they lack ideas.

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

Nova Ray is typically engaged when important decisions need to be made about what to build or change, who to serve, where to focus, and which opportunities deserve investment.

Advisory areas

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

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leaders evaluate opportunities, investments, strategic pivots, and major commitments before significant time, capital, and organizational energy are committed.

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leaders evaluate opportunities, investments, strategic pivots, and major commitments before significant time, capital, and organizational energy are committed.

Executive Decision Advisory

Helping leaders evaluate opportunities, investments, strategic pivots, and major commitments before significant time, capital, and organizational energy are committed.

Discovery, Insight & Validation

Generating the customer, market, and stakeholder insight needed to identify gaps, validate assumptions, and inform product, growth, commercialization, and expansion deciisions.

Product Direction

Clarifying what to build or change, what to prioritize, who to serve, and where to focus next.

Innovation Strategy

Helping organizations translate customer, market, and operational realities into products, services, and experiences that create meaningful value.

Leaders typically bring me in when

• It's unclear what to build or change, who to serve, and where to focus next.
• Everyone is busy, but progress feels uncertain.
• Multiple opportunities compete for attention.
• Customer, market, and business signals point in different directions.
• Momentum is building around assumptions that haven't been tested.

The result is clearer priorities, stronger alignment, and greater confidence in where to focus time, capital, and organizational energy—enabling better product development, go-to-market, growth, and investment decisions.

How I work

Structured at the executive level — ensuring decision ownership, sponsorship, and alignment.
Evidence-led — grounded in real signals, not assumptions.
Systems-aware — connecting product, customer, and organizational realities.
Decision-focused — turning complexity into disciplined, actionable direction.

About

With over 20 years of experience, I help founders and leadership teams navigate complex product, innovation, and growth decisions.

My work spans organizations across North America and Europe, many operating in global markets. I bring an independent perspective, evidence-led insight, and strategic judgment to consequential decisions.

Contexts I've Worked In

AI & Emerging Technologies • SaaS (B2B & B2C) • Consumer Products & Platforms • OceanTech • ClimateTech & CleanTech • Health & MedTech • Industrial Systems • Hardware–Software Products

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

Connect

Selected Organizations

I’ve worked with leaders and teams across technology, innovation, public sector, and mission-driven organizations, including:

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 types of engagements are the best fit?

Engagements involving high-stakes product or innovation decisions, insight and discovery needs, or strategic shifts where clarity, alignment, and evidence matter. Nova Ray does not operate as an agency, a delivery/ production/ execution studio, staff-augmentation, or downstream vendor. Engagements are structured at the strategy-setting and executive decision level.

How do engagements typically begin?

What kinds of organizations do you typically work with?

Do you take on execution or delivery work?

Do you offer ongoing support?

Who is Nova Ray not the right fit for?