Dr. Samuel Martín-Barbero is a Higher Education Senior Executive & Thought University Leader with cross-disciplinary experience within liberal arts and sciences college, research university and business school models. He holds additional professional background in consultancy, media and telecom industries. He currently serves as Presidential Distinguished Fellow at the University of Miami (Florida, US). Previously, he has held the position of Rector at University Camilo José Cela, in (Madrid, Spain). He was Founding-Dean at IE School of Communication-IE University; Associate Dean and Professor at IE Business School and, Secretary General of the International Advisory Board at IE University. At a corporate level, he worked as Project Manager for Education and Technology at Telefónica Group after some years as a Reporter in the Culture Section for Prisa Media Group (CNN Spain/Canal Plus and Cadena Ser).

He has been an active member of the Global Agenda Council (GAC) on Informed Societies and of the Knowledge Advisory Group, both at the World Economic Forum. He writes on higher education for publications such as World Economic Forum-Agenda blog, Times Higher Education, Higher Education Policy Institute, The Conversation and El País.

He gained a Ph.D. in Communication (Outstanding Doctoral Award) and a B.A Honours from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid; an M.A. in Journalism El País-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and a Certificate in History, Politics and Management from Lunds University, in Sweden, and more recently, a Global Senior Management Program from The University of Chicago-Booth School of Business US & IE Executive Ed.