Laura Zapata Cantú is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she has held various positions throughout her 25-year professional career. At the same time, Laura participates in consulting processes on strategic planning and institutional strengthening issues for private sector companies and civil society organizations.
From November 2018 to March 2024, she was a counselor of the Mexican Red Cross, Monterrey Delegation, where she chairs the School of Nursing and Technician Committee in Medical Emergencies.
She has been a visiting professor at different universities, teaching business strategy, knowledge management, and organizational learning courses. She taught strategic management and Innovation management master courses offered by the Postgraduate University Institute, sponsored by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Alicante, and the Carlos III University of Madrid, at the Department of Business Economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain; and the ICN Business School in Nancy, France.
From 2003 to 2004, she served as Director of the International Liaison Office of the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Barcelona, during which time the office was opened in this city. This allowed the Tec to link and strengthen itself with the prestigious universities of this region.
Since January 2006, she has been a member of the National System of Researchers (CONACYT), receiving the appointment of Level 2 Researcher in January 2017. She is the author of more than 20 articles in indexed journals and more than 15 chapters of books and is co-author of five academic research books. Her research works are oriented to management and strategic planning in small and medium-sized companies, information technologies' impact on human resources, knowledge management, and organizational learning. She currently focuses on organizational changes derived from studying the future of work and its impacts on organizations.
In 2008, she received the Tecnológico de Monterrey Award for Teaching and Research Work from the Division of Administration and Finance, where she also obtained the distinction of associate professor.
From 2009 to 2014, she held the research chair for European Studies on Development and Competitiveness at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, from which she supported and promoted the Tecnológico de Monterrey's participation in various international university linkage projects in the European Union's Framework Program 7. Among these are PILA (Intellectual Property in Latin America) 2009-2011, SUMA (Sustainability University Management) 2010-2012, and EQUALITY 2012-2014. From this last project comes the initiative Premio Mujer Tec.
From March 2018 to February 2022, she was Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at EGADE Business School, where she was also Director of the MBA Programs, Monterrey Campus (2011-2018). In these positions, she stood out for her support for her team's growth, the transformation of the postgraduate program portfolio, the incorporation of online programs, and the introduction of alternative graduate credentials.
Her strengths include strategic vision, educational innovation, creativity in problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Laura Esther Zapata Cantú obtained a bachelor's degree in marketing and a master's degree in administration from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey. She received a Doctor of Administration degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain, where she lived with her family from 1999 to 2004.
Laura has been married to José Luis Pineda since October 1996, and she is Emilio and Eugenio's mom.
laura.zapata@tec.mx
