María Eizaguirre obtained her B.A. (Hons) in Anthropology from Durham University, after which she pursued her M.Sc. in the field of Biological Anthropology (1995). She was then awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship (Linacre & Spain, 1994) to study at the University of Oxford, where she completed her Ph.D in Biological Anthropology (1999). She started her career in consumer insights and behaviour, first at a research agency (Research International), followed by an advertising agency (Young&Rubicam) and for eight years at Kraft Foods within the Consumer Insights & Strategy team, where she was leading the Innovation CI function across the EU. As IE Director of Marketing, she focused, among other projects, on building a new brand for IE with different consumer needs to core business. She has vast experience in reframing business opportunities from a consumer-centric perspective and is currently Director of the IE Center for Consumer Driven Growth, conducting academic research and promoting the role of consumer centricity as a key driver for sustainable business growth.
