Dr. Stefan Heck is the Founder and CEO of Nauto, a global leader in AI-powered driver safety and fleet performance solutions for commercial vehicles. Under his leadership, Nauto has partnered with major automakers including BMW and General Motors and has successfully expanded its operations internationally. Before founding Nauto, Dr. Heck served as a Consulting Professor at Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, where he taught courses and conducted research on innovation, sustainability, and resource economics. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he co-founded and led the Cleantech and Sustainability Practice, collaborating with over 100 global partners to drive sustainable business transformation. An angel investor and advisor to multiple disruptive technology startups, Dr. Heck focuses on AI integration, clean technology, and next-generation transportation systems. He is also the author of the acclaimed book Resource Revolution, which explores how technology and innovation are reshaping global industries. In addition, he advises institutional investors and corporations on AI-driven investment strategies, sustainability innovation, and long-term value creation.
Stefan Heck Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
Academic History
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Board Member, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Board Member, GaN Systems
Innovation Advisory Board, United Technologies
Advisory Board Member, Chrysalix Venture Capital
Dr. Stefan Heck served as a Consulting Professor at Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, where he taught courses on energy innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.
He also directed the Energy Transformation Collaborative, an interdisciplinary initiative that leveraged the expertise of the Stanford community and Silicon Valley to develop and deploy groundbreaking solutions to the world’s most pressing energy challenges.
Additionally, he was a Research Fellow at the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, a joint center of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and Law School, where he contributed to research on clean energy economics and policy.
EARLY CAREER
Before founding Nauto, Dr. Heck was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he co-founded and led the Cleantech and Sustainability Practice, advising Global 100 technology, industrial, infrastructure, and energy companies across the United States, China, Japan, Korea, India, and Europe.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a Web Developer at Apple and a Researcher at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), focusing on emerging technologies.
Dr. Heck has also served on the boards of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) and GaN Systems, contributing to innovation and sustainability initiatives across the tech and energy sectors.