The Board of Trustees of the Esade Foundation has announced the appointment of Dr. Xavier Mendoza as director general of Esade for a term that begins on 1 September 2022, following the end of Koldo Echebarria's four-year term.

In recent years, major projects were completed in accordance with the Esade Strategic Plan 2019-2023. The academic institution has strengthened its global prestige and its ability to attract international talent with 65% of foreign students in the classrooms – and has reinforced its commitment to educational innovation with the creation of new degrees and programs and the addition of technological skills throughout its portfolio. In addition, Esade has boosted its Scholarship Program, which has today reached 297 scholarship students thanks to a record-breaking endowment of €4 million.

The new director general of Esade, Xavier Mendoza, holds a PhD in economics and business administration from the University of Barcelona and is an Esade alumni (bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's in management) and has been closely linked to Esade since 1982. He is currently associate professor in the Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade and has been academic director of the 2030 Leaders Program for the Misk Foundation in Saudi Arabia since March 2021.

Xavier Mendoza's knowledge and experience will be of great value in leading a review for a new institutional strategic plan as the current plan approaches its end. The objectives of his mandate include advancing in Esade's mission and further strengthening its position as an academic institution distinguished by the quality of its educational experience, and its commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and social impact – supported by rigorous and relevant research for society.

Extensive experience in higher education

Mendoza's links with Esade are extensive. He has held various management positions at Esade, first as dean of the Business School during 2000 to 2008 when the school included the Executive Education unit, and later from 2008 to 2011 as Esade’s deputy director general. During those years he promoted strategic alliances with the business schools of Georgetown University, HEC, and SDA-Bocconi University, among others, in addition to advancing the launch and deployment of MSc programs. During the same period, he participated in various committees of the main sectorial associations and was elected to the board of directors of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (2008-2011) – the principal international association and accrediting entity for business schools.

From the academic point of view, his teaching has been developed in all areas (undergraduate degree, MSc, MBA, and Executive Education), while his most recent research work has focused on the internationalization of Spanish companies and the strategic management of multinationals. He co-founded the Observatory on Multinationals in Spain (and was director between 2012-2018) and has been a guest speaker at many international forums, both academic and professional, in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia.