Steve Wunker

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Steve Wunker is an accomplished innovation strategist, entrepreneur, and author with a remarkable track record of helping organizations worldwide execute bold growth plans. As the founder and Managing Director of New Markets Advisors since 2009, he has counseled hundreds of companies on identifying new markets, crafting growth strategies, and building lucrative business models. Steve has advised business leaders across several industries, including at Microsoft, Meta, Nike, the Mayo Clinic, and the World Bank.

Steve’s expertise lies in his ability to spot untapped opportunities and to help organizations create truly differentiated offerings. Whether guiding technology firms to commercialize new products, advising insurance companies on serving unmet client needs, or developing innovative business models for medical devices, Steve’s strategic insights have been instrumental in driving significant business transformations.

Before founding New Markets Advisors, Steve spent years advising some of the world’s top companies. He worked closely with Clayton Christensen—the late, legendary Harvard Business School professor—to help build Innosight, a consulting practice focused on disruptive innovation. He also spent several years consulting with Bain & Company in their Boston and London offices, where he honed his expertise in growth strategy, innovation, and market expansion.

A pioneer in the tech world, Steve led the development of one of the world’s first smartphones and has since built and sold several successful businesses in mobile marketing, commerce, and social networking. His global experience spans multiple continents, with ventures based in the US, UK, Netherlands, South Africa, and Zambia.

Steve is also a prolific author and thought leader. He has penned four critically acclaimed books: Capturing New Markets: How Smart Companies Create Opportunities Others Don't (2011), Jobs to be Done: A Roadmap for Customer-Centered Innovation (2016), Costovation: Innovation That Gives Your Customers Exactly What They Want--And Nothing More (2018), and The Innovative Leader: Step-by-Step Lessons from Top Innovators for You and Your Organization (2024). He has written over 100 articles for Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Financial Times, and other major outlets, and has appeared on Bloomberg and BBC television. He was also a guest lecturer at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.

Steve holds an MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School, a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a BA cum laude from Princeton University.

To check out Steve's latest thinking, including key articles and insights, visit the links below: