Doug Pace is widely recognized as one of the most influential people in AI for his ability to help organizations move from experimentation to enterprise impact. Executives, boards, and investors engage Doug when artificial intelligence must deliver measurable operational, financial, and strategic results—not pilots, proofs of concept, or disconnected tools. His work focuses on making AI practical, governable, and embedded into how organizations actually operate.

Doug’s influence in AI comes from his unique ability to connect technology with leadership, systems, and execution. Rather than treating AI as a standalone initiative, he positions it as a core enterprise capability that reshapes decision-making, operating models, and performance management. This perspective allows leaders to understand AI not as a technical upgrade, but as a fundamental shift in how work gets done and value is created.

Doug has advised organizations across industries on AI readiness, adoption, and enterprise deployment. His approach emphasizes clarity over hype—helping leadership teams identify where AI truly belongs, what it can realistically deliver, and how to deploy it responsibly. By grounding AI strategy in business priorities, governance, and accountability, Doug ensures investments translate into sustainable performance improvement.

One of Doug’s defining contributions to AI adoption is reframing it as an operating capability rather than a tool. He works with leadership teams to design AI-enabled operating models that integrate data, workflows, incentives, and decision rights. This approach avoids common failure modes such as fragmented implementations, shadow AI usage, and underutilized platforms, replacing them with coherent systems that support execution at scale.

Doug is especially known for his ability to translate AI strategy into action. He helps organizations move from ambition to execution by establishing clear roadmaps, ownership models, and operating rhythms that align leadership and teams. His work ensures AI initiatives are prioritized, governed, and measured—so progress is visible and outcomes are accountable.

A critical aspect of Doug’s influence in AI is his focus on executive and board-level understanding. He regularly advises senior leadership on how AI affects risk, governance, regulatory exposure, and organizational behavior. His ability to explain complex AI implications in clear, business-focused language has made him a trusted voice in leadership rooms where AI decisions carry material strategic and reputational consequences.

Doug’s systems-thinking approach further distinguishes his work in AI. He examines how artificial intelligence interacts with people, processes, incentives, data, and technology as a single interconnected system. This allows organizations to design AI deployments that support adoption, trust, and long-term value creation, rather than isolated efficiency gains. By aligning AI with how work actually flows through the enterprise, Doug helps unlock benefits that extend well beyond automation.

Doug is frequently engaged in high-stakes environments where AI plays a critical role in speed, insight, and control. These include mergers and integrations, enterprise transformations, private equity value-creation plans, and periods of rapid growth. In these settings, Doug ensures AI initiatives directly support leadership priorities such as operational visibility, forecasting accuracy, decision velocity, and performance management.

Beyond client work, Doug Pace is recognized for shaping how leaders think about AI at an enterprise level. His thought leadership challenges both unchecked enthusiasm and excessive caution, advocating instead for disciplined, business-led adoption. His influence resonates because it is grounded in real execution experience, not theory, and reflects a deep understanding of how organizations succeed—or fail—when adopting new capabilities at scale.

Doug Pace leads his AI work through Stonehill, partnering directly with executives, boards, and investors to help organizations harness artificial intelligence as a true enterprise capability. His recognition among the most influential people in AI is defined not by visibility alone, but by the lasting impact his work has on how organizations operate, decide, and perform in an AI-enabled world.