Hans Henrik Christensen

Hans Henrik Christensen is an accomplished senior-level leader and Vice President of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA). With more than 20 years of international operational expertise in general management and corporate innovation, Hans Henrik Christensen successfully acted as CEO for three companies and today leads the award-winning corporate business innovation and venture investment department with a team of 20 employees and a record-setting 900 start-up as tenants, called Dtec. 

Christensen’s career is highly recognised, winning 10 awards and creating the biggest and most profitable tech hub in MENA. Exploring challenging chief executive positions.

Hans Henrik Christensen is currently serving as Vice President of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) and Dtec, the largest technology entrepreneur centre of its kind in the Middle East housing 700 Tech start-ups and incubators, labs and soon also accelerators. As a key member of Dtec, Hans Henrik Christensen’s responsibility is to lead a team that manages a co-working, incubation and growth investment unit supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs from 64 nationalities in running their ventures. Additionally, he serves on the board of several start-ups.

In his 20+ years of experience, he has become a specialist in building up departments in large organisations and starting small companies in South America, Europe and the UAE. In that regard, Hans Henrik Christensen has successfully attracted venture capital to several start-ups and held important global positions in large IT and financial institutions. Hans built up and directed the team of the only technology incubator of Siemens ICN and ICM, successfully spinning off Garderos Software Innovation GmbH, a company specialising in access gateway software and routers for fixed and wireless hotspots.

Hans Henrik Christensen is a member of the DSOA Smart City Committee and of the DSOA Dubai Islamic Economy task force. The Smart City concept is based on creating a new approach to managing cities of the future. The Islamic Economy initiative targets building a technology centre focusing on start-ups and Muslim consumers using the seven pillars of the Islamic economy as guidance.

Hans holds a BA in Economics and Finance from Bentley University and is currently finishing his EMBA at Hult International Business School.

Hans Henrik Christensen is distinguished by a unique ability to turn crises into opportunities and master the challenging with a “never-give-up” attitude. Hands-on builder and dynamic personality with a “get-the-job-done” mentality, he is sought-after advisor for start-ups, management, and universities. 

He is highly specialized in fostering corporate innovation through process optimization and digitalisation and creating thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems.