Dr. Melodena Stephens is a Professor of Innovation and Technology Governance at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, with over three decades of corporate, academic, and consulting experience across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Her work spans science, technology, and innovation policy; frontier technology governance; and anticipatory and agile governance. She has partnered with organizations including IEEE, Agile Nations, and multiple government bodies on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to crisis management and design thinking, and is actively involved in training diplomats, government officials, and senior executives across sectors.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Melodena worked at the Tata Group in India, focusing on market potential estimation, new market and product development, and joint venture negotiations. In academia, she has held senior leadership roles for more than a decade, including serving as one of the first female Indian deans at Karlshochschule International University and in leadership positions at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. She is the author of more than 200 publications and 13 books, including AI–Enabled Business: A Smart Decision Kit, and is the founder of the Academy of International Business–Middle East North Africa Chapter (AIBMENA), recognized as a “Dubai Brand Ambassador” for advancing international business research and education. As Non-Executive Chair and Senior Executive Fellow in Tech Policy and Governance at The Digital Economist, Dr. Stephens contributes strategic leadership on innovation policy, AI governance, and institutional readiness. Her work bridges theory and practice, helping governments, organizations, and global institutions design forward-looking, resilient, and human-centered approaches to emerging technologies.