Welcome! 

I am currently an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Emlyon Business School (France), a role I began in September 2024. Prior to joining Emlyon, I was an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Essex (UK), where I also served as the Deputy Director of the MBA. 

Before this, I was a Postdoctoral scholar collaborating with Sharon A. Alvarez at the University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I earned my Ph.D. in Management from IE Business School, Madrid, Spain graduating with the highest distinction and specializing in Entrepreneurship and Organization Theory. 

Dissertation: Disentangling Legitimacy: Three Essays on Legitimacy Perceptions 

Advisor: Julio O. De Castro (IE Business School, Spain) 

Committee members: Sharon A. Alvarez (Univ. of Pittsburgh, USA); Marco Giarratana (IE Business School, Spain); Isabel Guttiérez-Calderón (Carlos 3 Univ. Spain); Dean A. Shepherd (Univ. of Notre Dame, USA); Taiyuan Wang (CEIBS, China)

My research program is broadly concerned with understanding the different factors that enhance or constrain the success of entrepreneurial endeavors, and innovations in new and established firms. More specifically, I am interested in studying how different audiences make legitimacy judgments under conditions conducive to lack of legitimacy and their implications for entrepreneurial endeavors. 

I draw on theories of legitimacy, justice, social psychology, and linguistics to uncover the micro-foundational mechanisms that explain larger, observable macro-level phenomena.       

In my research, I use a range of methods, including conjoint experiments, surveys, interviews, and text analysis. By combining these diverse approaches, I have been able to tackle unique and previously unexplored research questions. 

My research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Management Studies (FT 50), Journal of Management Inquiry, European Management Review, or Industrial Economics. It is also regularly featured in best paper proceedings such as Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research and Academy of Management Annual Meeting Best Paper Proceedings.  I regularly present my research at leading international conferences, including the Academy of Management (AOM), the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, the European Group for Organization Studies (EGOS), and the European Academy of Management (EURAM). Additionally, my work has been shared with influential think tanks like The Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. 

I was honored to be awarded the French State Award for Academic Excellence, a Best Paper Award at the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, and nominations for best paper at the Academy of Management Conference.