Female-founded advisory moves industry far beyond ‘digital transformation’ as institutions grapple with AI fatigue and seek genuine competitive advantage
A new era for financial services consultancy has begun with the launch of ace, the industry’s first specialist post-digital advisory firm. Founded by technology strategist and applied neuroscientist Niamh Kingsley, ace has been created as a direct response to digital transformation fatigue, helping financial institutions harness emerging technologies to achieve real, measurable differentiation rather than simply staying afloat.
Part of the G MASS Consulting ecosystem, ace enters the market at a pivotal moment. While many organisations claim to have achieved digital transformation, most remain dependent on outdated technology and legacy systems. The firm’s philosophy is both clear and challenging — digital transformation is no longer a differentiator but a baseline, and true market leadership now depends on mastering post-digital technologies such as advanced AI, quantum computing, and distributed ledger systems.
“Let’s be honest, if you’re still talking about ‘digital transformation’ in 2025, you’re already behind,” comments Niamh Kingsley, CEO and Founder of ace. “The industry doesn’t need another consultancy peddling AI workshops and blockchain pilots. What they need is someone willing to tell them the uncomfortable truth: most of their tech strategies are fighting yesterday’s war. ace is here to give our clients the advantage for tomorrow.”
ace’s proprietary framework spans distributed ledger, robotics, extended reality, AI, mutualisation, and computing technologies, providing a systematic approach to post-digital adoption. This methodology allows institutions to move beyond hype and focus on tangible, outcome-driven transformation — positioning ace uniquely within a consultancy market saturated by conventional digital offerings.
Kingsley’s appointment as founder brings a rare perspective to an industry still striving for diversity at the leadership level. Her academic background in computational neuroscience and neuroeconomics, combined with more than a decade of experience in financial services transformation, enables her to challenge assumptions about how technology and human behaviour intersect in finance. The leadership team is bolstered by Greg Hannah, appointed Non-Executive Director and Advisor, whose career includes senior roles at Deutsche Bank, RBS, and JDX Consulting.
Challenging an industry still anchored in past playbooks, ace distinguishes itself through several defining features: its first-mover position in post-digital consulting, integrated delivery via G MASS’s specialist resource model, and a proprietary IP-led approach built on proven methodologies. The firm’s mission is not to maintain operational parity but to help clients achieve competitive advantage — supported by a global presence and localised expertise across major financial centres.
“The advantage of our model is the seamless integration between ace’s visionary advisory and G MASS’s executional capabilities,” explains Tom Mills, Founder of G MASS and Chief Commercial Officer of ace. “While others theorise about the future, we’re already building it. ace identifies the opportunities that will define the next decade, while G MASS deploys the exact expertise needed to capture them. It’s strategy meets delivery at scale.”
Launching with strong momentum, ace builds upon G MASS’s established relationships with leading financial institutions across capital markets and financial market infrastructure. With headquarters in London and New York and expansion plans for Asia and the Middle East, ace is set to redefine how financial institutions compete — marking the dawn of the post-digital era.
