Stephen Gotz
Business Head
DIFC Innovation Hub
After more than 25 years working with corporate executives in a range of industriesacross six continents, Steve Gotz has developed a unique talent for spotting industry fault lines and associated business opportunities. These opportunities arise when emerging technologies, consumer expectations, and regulatory changes create entirely new ways of doing business.
Steve is the Head of Business at DIFC Innovation Hub. His team advises government, corporate and family office clients on how to navigate near-term disruptions, embrace emerging technologies, and build more resilient institutions. Over the course of his career, Steve has built and invested in FinTech innovations, launched startups in collaboration with large corporations, and served as Founding Director of the Design and Innovation Lab at Trinity College Dublin, a government funded research center developing leading-edge AI & ML technologies.
He has worked with and advised senior executives and government officials on the development of emerging technologies, ecosystem strategies, and new venture creation. His clients include international corporations and government agencies across Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
In addition to his advisory work, Steve serves as a Venture Partner at MFV Partners, a DeepTech focused venture capital fund based in Palo Alto. He also teaches graduate courses on strategy and innovation at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where he holds an honorary appointment as Distinguished Entrepreneur-in-Residence.
Steve holds an MBA from the University of Oxford with a specialization in Technology & Innovation Strategy. He serves on the Advisory Board of Global Thinkers Forum, an international organization that brings together a diverse network of thought leaders creating meaningful conversations around global challenges and trends. GTF launched officially in 2012 in Amman, Jordan, under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and has partnered with some of the world’s top brands, organizations and foundations.
Steve regularly discusses emerging technology trends at organizations such as the United Nations, the British House of Lords, the NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Stanford University, Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University.