Most organisations now accept that AI will shape their future. What’s far less clear is how leaders should respond when the pace of change is constant, regulation is unforgiving, and the consequences of getting it wrong are very real.
At ANS’ Frontier Firm event, senior leaders from across the public and private sectors shared candid experiences of what it actually takes to lead in this environment — not in theory, but in practice.
Despite operating in very different contexts, a set of common themes emerged. Together, they offer a clear picture of how Frontier Firms are being built today.
Frontier leadership starts with outcomes, not technology
A defining characteristic of Frontier Firms is that AI adoption is never framed as a technology exercise. It is anchored in outcomes that matter — service quality, public safety, customer trust, and operational resilience.
Across the panel, leaders were clear that early conversations about AI often gravitated towards cost savings. But those conversations evolved quickly.
As one panellist noted, the real value emerged when AI was understood as a way to return time and capacity to people, not remove them.
“Initially it started as savings… but it’s not really about that because it’s a fraction of people’s time. They’ll be able to concentrate on delivering better services.” — Jon Burt, Head of Enterprise Architecture, Manchester City Council
Frontier Firms make this shift early. They stop measuring success purely in financial terms and start measuring it in impact — better decisions, faster responses, and more time spent on work that actually matters.
Data foundations are non-negotiable at the frontier
If there was one area of unanimous agreement across the panel, it was this: AI cannot outpace your data foundations.
Leaders described strong pressure to “jump ahead” to AI use cases — particularly generative and agentic AI — but acknowledged that doing so without the right groundwork would have been irresponsible.
“We wouldn’t have had the go-ahead unless our exec and board were confident we had a data strategy and really strong foundations in place.” — Claudia Robson, Head of Data CoE, OneFamily
For Frontier Firms, data is not a background utility. It is treated as a core organisational asset, with clear ownership, governance, and lineage. Importantly, perfection is not the goal — understanding is.
“You don’t need perfect data to start building AI, but it needs to be consistent and good enough — and you need to understand where the limitations are.” — Claudia Robson, OneFamily
This mindset allows organisations to move forward with confidence, rather than false certainty.
Trust is designed in — not bolted on
Frontier Firms operate in environments where trust is existential: financial services, policing, local government. In these settings, trust cannot be retrofitted once systems are live.
Leaders spoke openly about the need for governance, transparency, and accountability to be embedded from the outset — not as a brake on innovation, but as an enabler of scale.
“If you can’t trust the data you put in, you can’t trust the AI.” — Claudia Robson, OneFamily
In policing, the stakes are even higher. Innovation must keep pace with external threats — while remaining accountable to the public.
“The criminals out there are innovators too. If we didn’t keep up, we’d fall behind.” — Jack Bourne, Chief Digital Services Officer, British Transport Police
Frontier leadership recognises that moving at pace and acting responsibly are not opposing forces. They are mutually dependent.
Human led, AI enabled — by design
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the rejection of AI as a replacement narrative. Frontier Firms are not pursuing automation for its own sake. They are designing AI to augment human judgement, not remove it.
“It’s not about replacing people. It’s recognising where you can automate and really value the human elements of a process.” — Claudia Robson, OneFamily
This philosophy shows up most clearly in frontline roles — social workers, call handlers, relationship managers — where empathy and context matter.
“Even though the technology is there, it’s about releasing time and capacity to actually make an impact to residents.” — Jon Burt, Manchester City Council
Frontier Firms deliberately protect human-to-human interaction where it matters most, while using AI to remove friction and fatigue elsewhere.
Culture change is the hardest work — and the most important
Technology adoption is rarely the limiting factor. Culture is.
Leaders described predictable patterns of fear, resistance, and scepticism — particularly in highly regulated environments — and the importance of meeting people where they are.
“People are on that change curve — from fear to experimentation to real belief. It’s our responsibility to take them on that journey.” — Jack Bourne, British Transport Police
Successful Frontier Firms invest heavily in communication, training, and visible leadership. They create internal champions — often unexpected ones — and use real stories to build momentum.
“Stories are really powerful. We’re not always at pounds-and-pence ROI yet, but the stories build belief and confidence.” — Claudia Robson, OneFamily
This focus on people is not soft. It is strategic.
Frontier thinking is embedded, not episodic
Looking ahead, panellists consistently described a future where AI is no longer a standalone initiative — but part of everyday work.
“AI won’t be a separate conversation. It’ll just be part of the toolkit.” — Claudia Robson, OneFamily
“It will be embedded in everything — part of everybody’s day-to-day activities.” — Jon Burt, Manchester City Council
This is the defining characteristic of a Frontier Firm: AI is no longer something you deploy. It is something you operate with — continuously, safely, and at scale.
Our perspective: leadership defines the frontier
At ANS, our perspective is clear. Frontier Firms are not defined by their tools, their vendors, or their maturity models. They are defined by leadership choices.
They:
- Anchor AI to outcomes, not hype
- Build strong data foundations before scaling
- Design trust, governance, and accountability in from day one
- Keep humans firmly in the loop
- Treat culture change as a first order challenge
This is how organisations move from AI readiness into AI realisation — and why some will move faster, safer, and further than others.
Start your AI Readiness Assessment
Becoming a Frontier Firm doesn’t start with a platform decision. It starts with an honest view of where you are today.
Our AI Readiness Assessment helps organisations:
- Understand their current data, governance, and operating maturity
- Identify gaps and risks before scaling AI
- Build a clear, outcome led roadmap
- Move safely from readiness to realisation
If you’re leading transformation — across business and IT — this is the most practical place to start.
Start your AI Readiness Assessment and take the next step towards becoming a Frontier Firm.
