Esade bolsters its faculty with international experts in AI, social innovation, finance and organizational behavior

Esade is pleased to welcome ten new professors to its faculty for the 2025-26 academic year. They all have well-established track records in prestigious international universities and research centers, plus experience in business and social impact projects. Their contributions will bolster areas of strategic importance to Esade, such as AI and its governance, social digital innovation, consumer psychology, corporate governance, finance and strategic management.

With these new members, the Esade faculty rises to 171 professors of 28 nationalities, consolidating Esade’s diverse, global nature. The combination of academic excellence, applied research and direct links to the business world and society boosts Esade’s mission of training leaders able to transform organizations and companies in a dynamic, ever-changing landscape. In addition, in keeping with Esade’s constantly evolving range of courses, increasingly specialized faculty and new AI developments, two new academic departments have been created: Operations, Innovation and Technology Management, focused on operations management, the supply change and tech innovation; and Data, Analytics, Technology and AI.

The nine new members of the faculty this year are:

• Javier Amaya, Assistant Professor, Department of Operations, Innovation and Technology Management. PhD in Management from Oxford University, his research focuses on AI integration in operations and its effects on productivity and worker wellbeing. He has been awarded by EurOMA, Saïd Business School, and the Academy of Management, and he co-founder of the AI governance start-up Oxethica.   
• Liliana Arroyo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Society, Politics and Sustainability. PhD in Sociology from the University of Barcelona, specializing in digital social innovation. She led innovation at i2CAT Foundation and contributed to Catalonia’s Digital Rights Charter. Author of books that explore digital culture and regular media contributor.  
• María De-Arteaga, Associate Professor, Department of Data, Analytics, Technology and Artificial Intelligence. PhD in Machine Learning and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, her research focuses on how humans interact with algorithms, human-AI augmentation and algorithmic fairness. She has received research funding from NIH, Microsoft, and Google, and was Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.  
• Robert Langan, Assistant Professor, Department of People Management and Organization. PhD from IE Business School. He was head of research of the Centre for Corporate Governance at the University of Geneva, vice president at Credit Suisse Group and advisor at Spencer Stuart. His research focuses on strategic leadership and corporate governance.
• Rita Rueff, Lecturer, Department of People Management and Organization. European PhD in Management from ISCTE-IUL and the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on workplace emotional dynamics, employee well-being, and attitudes of new generations. She has contributed to several international and EU-funded research projects and has coordinated educational initiatives for Refugees Aid Barcelona.   
• Jan Sandoval, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting. He pursued doctoral studies in Finance at Tilburg University. His research focuses on empirical asset pricing, the equity term structure, and long-term investing. Previously, he worked as a senior investment strategist in the pension and insurance sectors.
• Alexander Staub, Assistant Professor, Department of Data, Analytics, Technology and Artificial Intelligence. PhD in Economics and Social Sciences from Vienna University. He was a postdoc at HEC Lausanne’s Digital Markets Lab and a visiting fellow at the Laboratory for Innovation Sciences at Harvard. His research focuses on the consequences of technological change at the intersection of markets, organizations, and individuals. Currently, he studies how creators, artists, and users respond to AI training, technology changes, and online platform incentives.
• Rui Sun, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing. PhD in Psychology from the University of Cambridge, she was a principal researcher at Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Her research integrates marketing, psychology, and data science to study how emotions, technology, and social context influence consumer decisions. It has been published in leading academic journals and featured in major media outlets like BBC, The Times, and The Economist.
• Matthias Tröbinger, Assistant Professor, Department of Strategy and General Management. PhD in Management from ESSEC Business School, he was research fellow at the University of St. Gallen on collaborative innovation in decentralized settings, including crowdfunding and online deliberation. Previously, he worked in strategy consulting and in the consumer goods industry.
• Tommaso Amico Di Meane, Assistant Professor, Department of International, European Union and Comparative Law. Tommasso earned his PhD in Comparative Public Law from the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. Before joining Esade, he was an Assistant Professor of Comparative Public Law at University of Rome Sapienza Unitelma Studies and an Academic Fellow in Public Law and Comparative Law at Bocconi University. His research explores Comparative Public Law, EU Law, Constitutional Law, and Indigenous Law, with a particular focus on postcolonial studies, decolonizing comparative law, and South Asian constitutional law.