Global academic, published author, and thought leader in responsible innovation, ethics, and conscious leadership.
João Miguel Oliveira Cotrim is a published author, researcher, and professor with deep expertise in Human Resources, Organizational Behavior, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Ecosystems. He holds a Ph.D. in Management (ISCTE-IUL Business School, Portugal), an MBA (University of Wales, in partnership with Robert Kennedy College, Switzerland), and two additional master’s degrees in International Relations and Media & Cultural Analysis.
He currently serves as Adjunct Professor (Profesor de Cátedra) at Universidad Anáhuac México – Escuela de Economía y Negocios, and is in advanced conversations to join IE University (Madrid, Spain) as an Adjunct Professor, with prospects to begin teaching in January 2026, pending final confirmation. Until mid-2025, he served as Associate Professor (Profesor Adscrito) and full member of the Research Group “Impactful Entrepreneurship and Innovation” at Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), where he also lectured as a Foreign Visiting Professor in Management & Leadership.
João is the author of the upcoming book “Negocios que Inspiran – CheckMate al Viejo Modelo de Empresa” (Tirant lo Blanch, 2025), which explores ethical leadership, conscious innovation, and sustainable transformation in the evolving business landscape.
He has designed and led a wide range of academic and executive programs, including:
▪ Co-Head Coordinator of the Conscious Business Concentration at Campus Santa Fe (Tecnológico de Monterrey);
▪ Course Coordinator for Business Leadership, Management, and Business Intelligence;
▪ Panel Member for Deloitte’s Best Mexican Companies awards;
▪ Professor in Continuing and Executive Education, with a focus on Conscious Leadership.
As an active Academic Member of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) and reviewer for top-tier Q1 journals, João has published widely on themes such as entrepreneurial ecosystems, AI and trust, and ethical business models. His current research explores the intersection of technology, trust, and sustainability within digital and sharing economy platforms.
He is currently preparing a proposal for the 2025 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF), in collaboration with a European NGO focused on children’s emotional well-being and ethical AI.
With a strong commitment to interdisciplinary knowledge and social relevance, João designs transformative learning experiences that help students, executives, and institutions lead with greater awareness, integrity, and impact.
Teaching Experience – Last 5 Years
A comprehensive list of undergraduate and graduate-level courses taught in:
▪ Strategic Management
▪ Leadership and Conscious Capitalism
▪ International Relations and Global Strategy
▪ Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
▪ Sustainable Business Models
Taught across multiple campuses and formats (hybrid, online, and face-to-face), with consistently high student satisfaction and strong teaching evaluations.
Teaching Evaluations
Student evaluations consistently range between 95% and 100% across dimensions such as course content, teaching clarity, engagement, and learning impact. Available evidence includes official records from Tecnológico de Monterrey and other institutions.
Transformational Life Moments
At the age of 9, João traveled alone to New Delhi, India, to reunite with his father, who was posted there for work. This early experience shaped his sense of resilience, emotional adaptability, and global awareness.
He completed high school at the Copenhagen International School (CIS), Denmark—an environment that cemented his international mindset and intercultural sensitivity.
His first job at age 18 was as a gardener, followed by roles in telemarketing, chauffeuring for international conference speakers, supermarket section management (Lidl), secretarial work in an architecture firm, and customer service in major retail chains.
In November 2022, shortly after arriving in Mexico, João suffered a severe heart attack while living alone in a new country. Thanks to timely support from a neighbour and the building’s security staff, he survived. This life event profoundly reshaped his understanding of purpose, vulnerability, and the human side of leadership.