AI Leadership Advisory

Independent advisory support that turns AI investment into AI performance.

A confidential 30-minute conversation to see whether we’re a good fit.

An independent adviser for leaders making big decisions about AI

I help senior leaders work out where AI is taking their business, where it can create value, and what needs to change to capture it.

I’m an economist and a futurist. The futurist looks at where AI, work and your market are heading over the next three to five years. The economist asks the harder questions: do the numbers add up, where is the value, and what does waiting really cost?

Most AI advice gives you one or the other. Good decisions need both.

I don’t implement AI systems or sell technology, so my advice is independent.

Do any of these sound familiar?

The board wants to know what the AI budget has delivered, and nobody can put a number on it.
Tools have been rolled out, but ways of working have barely changed.
Experiments are running, but few make it past pilot stage.
Leaders are not aligned on what AI is for or where it should create value.
Vendors and internal teams make confident claims, and it is hard to separate signal from noise.
Everyone agrees AI will change the business, but not where to focus first.

These are rarely just technology problems. They are leadership and business problems, and they’re often easier to see from the outside.

My approach: building AI-Q

My work focuses not on what AI can do, but on what leaders do with it. I call that capability AI-Q®: a leader’s ability to create value where human and machine intelligence work together.

It has three parts: the Mindsets leaders bring to AI, the Abilities they apply to it, and the Practices that sustain impact day to day. Together, MAP.

AI-Q and the 3 MAP dimensions - Mindsets, Abilities and Practices - by Athena Peppes

AI-Q comes from an original survey of nearly 200 senior decision makers, over 50 conversations with leaders across sectors, and more than 150 studies and articles. The finding that matters:

Leaders with high AI-Q were three times as likely to report a quantified business outcome from AI in the previous twelve months.

“As a game theorist, I found Athena’s point that strategic thinking is the most in-demand yet scarcest skill particularly compelling. Her insight into what employers value most was extremely valuable, and we are now considering how to build strategic thinking, adaptability and a growth mindset into our economics curriculum.“

Ching-Jen Sun, Professor and Chair, Economics Discipline Group, Deakin University

How does an engagement work?

Every engagement starts with understanding where your leaders are today. In my research, more than three quarters of leaders had never assessed their own AI readiness. From there, the work is tailored to your team, structure and priorities.

Arrange an introductory call

Who do I work with?

I work with boards, CEOs and executive teams, and with the leaders who own AI outcomes: chief AI, digital and transformation officers, COOs, CFOs and people leaders.

Most clients are large and mid-sized organisations that have moved past “should we use AI?” and are asking where to focus, what needs to change, and how to turn AI investment into measurable value.

I also work with selected consultancies as an expert adviser or associate. If you want to strengthen your AI offer with a more robust evidence base and a clearer view of what comes next, I’d be glad to talk.

AI advisory services

Leadership readiness review

Start here. See where your leadership capability is strong and where it needs attention.

Best for leadership teams that want a clear starting point before investing further in AI.

What happens
Your leadership team works through a facilitated review built on the AI-Q framework from my book, covering mindsets, abilities and practices. I then lead a debrief with the team on what it means for your priorities.

What you get

leadership strengths and development areas across the AI-Q dimensions
priority areas for attention
practical recommendations on where to focus next

Start with your leadership team

Strategic AI advisory

Go deeper. Make better decisions about where AI creates value, what to prioritise and what comes next.

Best for the leader who owns AI outcomes and wants an independent, evidence-led sounding board.

What happens
Regular sessions, monthly or fortnightly and mostly remote. We start with the decisions that matter most, then bring evidence, challenge and foresight to them.

What you get

an independent view of your AI priorities and investment
business cases pressure-tested against evidence
clarity on where value will come from
the cost of waiting, quantified
board-ready recommendations

Discuss strategic advisory

Leadership alignment workshop

Align the team. Get your leadership agreed on the AI decisions that matter.

Best for boards and executive teams that need to agree AI priorities.

What happens
A half-day or full-day working session. We agree the key questions in advance, then use evidence, foresight and facilitated discussion to move from broad debate to clear choices.

What you get

a shared view of the implications for the business
clarity on where leadership views differ
agreed strategic priorities
decisions that need to be made
practical next steps and ownership

Plan a leadership workshop

Athena is a forward thinker, who is able to translate complex ideas into accessible and relevant insights for business. She brings a top class research and strategic foresight skillset, and is always a delight to work with.

Jess Majekodunmi, Managing Director, Accenture

Advisory FAQs

How is this different from hiring a traditional AI consultancy?

Consultancies can be the right choice when you need a team to design or deliver a transformation programme.

My role is different. I work directly with senior leaders as an independent adviser on the decisions that sit above delivery: where to invest, what to prioritise and what needs to change.

I also bring two lenses most advisers don’t combine. As an economist, I ask where the value is and what waiting really costs. As a futurist, I look at where AI, work and your market are heading over the next three to five years.

Are you affiliated with any AI vendors or tools?

No. I’m not paid by, or reselling for, any AI software vendor or platform, so my advice is independent.

What size of organisation do you work with?

Mainly large and mid-sized organisations. I also work with smaller organisations where the strategic challenge and scope are a good fit.

Have you worked in my sector before?

My work spans financial services, professional services, technology, manufacturing, retail and healthcare. During my time at Accenture, I also worked across automotive, insurance, consumer goods, energy and government.

Many of the leadership challenges around AI recur across sectors in different forms, so cross-sector experience is often an advantage. If your sector isn’t listed, raise it when we speak.

Do you work with organisations outside the UK?

Yes. I’m based in London and work with organisations in the UK and internationally. Regular sessions usually run remotely, with in-person sessions arranged where they add most value.

Which of the services should I start with?

Usually the Leadership readiness review, because it shows where your leaders are today and where the gaps sit.

If you already know the decision you need to make, start with Strategic AI advisory. If your leadership team isn’t aligned on what AI is for, start with the Leadership alignment workshop.

Not sure? Book an introductory call and we’ll work it out together.

Is this tailored to us, or a standard programme?

The AI-Q model of Mindsets, Abilities and Practices is consistent across engagements, because it is the model the research is built on.

Everything on top of it is tailored: which practices you focus on, how the review findings map to your leadership development plans, and what your team needs to develop further.

How long does an engagement take?

It depends on the service. Strategic AI advisory usually runs at a monthly or fortnightly cadence, agreed at the start. The Leadership readiness review and the Leadership alignment workshop are defined pieces of work with a clear end point.

Exact timelines are set once I understand what you’re solving for.

Do you work remotely, in person, or both?

Both. Regular advisory sessions are typically remote. Kick-offs, review debriefs, workshops and board presentations are often in person, depending on what suits you.

Will you present findings directly to my board?

Yes. Board sessions are often an important part of the work, particularly where leaders need an independent evidence base or a clear challenge to the assumptions behind an investment decision.

Can advisory follow a keynote or workshop?

Yes. A keynote or leadership session is often a good way to start the conversation across a wider group, and the Leadership readiness review or Strategic AI advisory can then take it further with the leaders who own the decisions.

What does this cost?

Pricing is scoped to the engagement.

Strategic AI advisory is priced at an agreed rate for the time and scope we set. The Leadership readiness review and the Leadership alignment workshop are usually quoted at a fixed price.

You’ll have a clear scope and cost before anything starts.

How is confidential information handled?

Any information you share is used only for your engagement, under confidentiality terms agreed before the work begins. I’m happy to sign an NDA.

What happens on an introductory call?

It’s a short conversation about where you are with AI and what you’re trying to solve. By the end, we’ll both know whether I’m the right fit and, if so, which service makes sense as a first step.

Ready to talk about your AI priorities?

A confidential 30-minute conversation to see whether we’re a good fit. I work with a small number of leadership teams at a time.

Arrange an introductory call