María José CANEL
PhD in Communication (University ofNavarre, Spain). Tenured Professorwith a Chair in Political and PublicSector Communication at ComplutenseUniversity of Madrid. Leading authorin the field. Member of the Board ofDirectors at Solaria Energía y MedioAmbiente (Ibex35)
CURRENT POSITION
Professor with a Chair in Political and Public Sector Communicationat the Complutense University of Madrid (since 2004)Independent member of the Board of Directors at Solaria Energía yMedio Ambiente (Ibex 35) (since 2023)Developing a study on authenticity and sustainability (Publisher:Wiley-Blackwell)
PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE
She was Chief of the Minister’s Cabinet at the Ministry for theEducation, Culture and Sport (2000-2004), Associate Teacher at theUniversity of Murcia, Spain (2000-2001), Tenure at Centro deEstudios Superiores Felipe II (1999-2000), Tenure at the Universityof Navarre, Spain (1991-1999), Visiting Scholar at the London Schoolof Economics (1992) and Assistant Lecturer at the University ofNavarre (1987-1991)
EDUCATION AND DEGREES AWARDED
BA Journalism and Public Communication. University of Navarre,1987
PhD Journalism and Public Communication. University of Navarre,1991
OTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Coach (ICF Certificate, International Coaching Federation).Specialized on coaching public sector and politicians leaders
Executive program in Leadership in Public Administration, IESEBusiness SchoolPREVIOUS
AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Knowledge development and practice in intangible resources, communication and sustainability.Research-driven strategic planning and comunication. Training, career management and coaching.International profile. Regular collaborator in news media.
Knowledge development and practice in intangible resources, communication and sustainability
Topics: Building and assessingintangibles(trust, engagement,reputation, legitimacy, socialresponsibility), authenticity andsustainability, ESG, SDGs andcommunication, collaborativegovernance.
- She has published nationally and internationally in political and public sectorcommunication. More than 100 works in major communication publishingcompanies (Wiley-Blackwell, Palgrave, Sage, Bloomsbury, Hampton Press, Fondode Cultura Económica, Tecnos) as well as in specialized journals and in differentcountries (Spain, USA, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina).
- Major scientific contributions (for full deails see https://mariajosecanel.com/):intangible resources in European institutions (Canel & Piqueiras, 2022); resilienceto misinformation (Pérez & Canel, 2022); civic engagement to struggle COVID19(Luoma-aho et al., 2022); communication, intangible resources and collaborativegovernance (Barandiarán et al., 2023); learning and listening in public sectororganizations (Canel et al., 2022); AI and intangible resources in publicadministration (Piqueiras & Canel, 2021); Public sector intangible resources andgrowth (Piqueiras & Canel, 2021); communication, post-truth and sustainability(Canel, 2021); mapping the field of public sector communication (Luoma-aho &Canel, 2020; Canel & Luoma-aho, 2017); mapping intangible resources in the publicsector (Canel & Luoma-aho, 2019; Canel et al., 2017; Sanders & Canel, 2015; Canel,2014); communication and public administration (concepts and practices) (Canel,2018); comparative analysis of the legitimacy of policies on refugees (Canel et al.,2017); field map of government communication and analysis across countries(concepts, theories, frameworks, structures, practices) (Sanders & Canel, 2013;Sanders et al., 2012); cross country comparative analysis of communication andterrorist attacks (Canel, 2012; Canel & Sanders 2010); cross-time analysis ofcitizens’ perceptions of government performance and trust (Canel, 2009; Canel &Echart, 2011; Canel & García Molero, 2013); communication and public sectororganizations (Canel, 2007); mapping the field of political communication (Sanders et al., 2013; Canel, 2006); political scandals and media scandals (Sanders &Canel 2006)
- Scores (31 August 2024): 5 six-year terms (2021). Web of Science (28 publications, 226 quotes H-Index, 9). SCOPUS: 37 publications, 363 quotes, H-Index, 10, Google Scholar Metrics: 4841 quotes, H-Index 31, Index i10 65. Researchgate: 667.0 research interest score (higher than 95% of RG researchers in the field), 1,203 citations, H-Index, 20.
- Her work has beenquoted in international relevant journals, and received different awards (the Álvaro Pérez-Ugena Award to the promotion of communication research, the Victory Award to one of the 12 most influential women in Political Communication, (Washington, DC, 2016)
- Her recent titles include: Building Collaborative Governance in times of uncertainty (co-edited, KU Leuven UP, 2023); Public Sector Communication (co-authored, Wiley-Blackwell, 2019); Handbook of Public Sector Communication (co-edited, Wiley Blackwell, 2020); Government Communication (co-edited, Bloomsbury, 2013). For full list of titles see: https://mariajosecanel.com/)
Intangible resources and sustainability building
Identification, managementand evaluation of intangibleresources for tangible value(reputation, engagement,trust, CSR, sustainability).Elaboration of indexes toassess the organization’scommunication performance,and to monitor stakeholders’perceptions
- Independent member of the Board of Directors at Solaria Energía y MedioAmbiente (Ibex 35), Appointments and Retributions Commission (President),ESG and Sustainability Commission (member), Audit Commission (member).
- She is consultant on public sector communication and intangible value: cultural, immigration, justice, education and social public policies, at local,regional and national level (Spain, Governments of Murcia, Baleares, Madrid);consultant for the development of collaborative governance (Gipuzkoa, Spain);consultant for presidential communication (Presidencia de la República deMéxico, Presidencia de Colombia); consultant on corporate communication andpublic affairs (Guatemala); business diplomacy for corporations (Spain).
- Evaluation of communication: In-house training at the European Commissionfor the evaluation of communication activities (2022-2023) to participants fromdifferent nationalities, using specific tools and metrics. In house training onevaluating and communicating SDGs achievements. Government of the Autonomous Community of la Rioja (2022). Consultancy for the evaluation of intangible outcomes of collaborative governance (Diputación Foral Gipuzkoa, 2018-2023). Workshops with governmental bodies for developing of organizational listening: listening processes and analysis of social trends (Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa, 2018-2023).
- Launched and was member of the Steering Committee of the Public Manager Programe, Leiden University for top civil servants (2017-2020). She washead the module “Madrid, a life-case for the implementation of SDGs”.
Research-driven strategic planning and communication
Communication strategicplanning, monitoring andassessment; evaluation of thequality of the relation that isestablished between theorganization and itsstakeholders (trust,involvement, mutualunderstanding)
- She worked for Tony Blair Associates in the area of government consultancy, andwas consultant for the World Bank.
- Based on action learning methodology, she has worked on the creation of spacesfor public leaders for the development of shared views of problems and solutions(Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa, 2018-2020).
- She has conducted ad-hoc organization of government communication offices (national and regional governments from different countries in Europe andAmérica): organizational charts, definition of ranks, profiles, functions, tasks andinformation-flows to give communication the institutional weight required for areal deeds-supported messaging.
- As Chief of the Minister’s Cabinet (Minister for Education, Culture and Sport,Government of Spain) (the 2000-2004 term), apart from the CommunicationOffice, she coordinated the work of three Secretaries of State for the minister’ssupport and 19 General Directions (7.000 people). She worked in the reform of theSpanish education system, in the law for the promotion of cinema, law of theNational Prado Museum, as well as in several projects for the coordination andmanagement of the Spanish state museums, the enhancement of reading skills atschools, and for the preservation of the historic memory (Program for the SpanishArchives in the Internet). Besides, she developed experience in team management:coordination of goals, tasks, and communication among employees and betweenthe organization and its stakeholders.
Training, career management and coaching
Identification of the required profile (knowledge, competenciesand skills) to enable governmentcommunicators to benchmarkthemselves and decide their owncareer development needs andmap a way forward in meetingthose needs
- Coach (ICF Certificate, International Coaching Federation). She is specializedin coaching for public sector and politicians leaders.
- She has worked for several projects on organizational change using actionlearning methodology for collaborative learning and the achievement oforganizational goals (INAP, Spain, 2017-2018; Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa,2020-2023).
- She has large experience in training government and public administration communicators (she has trained in Europe, United States and Latin America).Member of the Steering Committee for the launch of the Leiden CertifiedPublic Manager Program (for mid-career top civil servants). She was co-headof the program of communication for Civil Servants at the Spanish NationalSchool of Public Administration (INAP) (since 2008) and launched and headedthe first MA Program in Public Administration Communication (for CivilServants); she is also involved in the Programme for Leadership (INAP); shehas trained employees of local, regional and national public sectororganizations; taught at programs in different universities: Paris XII (programon Government Communication), Georgetown University (MA on Leadershipand Communication), George Washington University (Maestría en GerenciaPolítica y Gobernanza Estratégica), and University of Navarre (MAComunicación Política y Corporativa). She also launched and was the head ofan MA on Organizational Communication (University Complutense ofMadrid, 2012-2023).
- She has worked on the innovation of training tools for top civil servants (Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, INAP) (Ref. Murphy, A &Canel, M. J. (2020). Manual de Action Learning para gestores públicos. Madrid:INAP).
International profile
- Actively involved in the major international associations in the field:International Communication Association (ICA), involved in the papersreview process for the conferences as well as panels chairperson anddiscussant; she was Program Chair of the Regional Meeting of WAPOR; shewas Co-Chair and Vice-Chair of the Political Communication Section ofIAMCR; Vice Chair of the Political Communication Section of ECREA;Program Chair of the ECREA Political Communication division Interimconference in Madrid; Founder President of ACOP (Association of PoliticalCommunication); Co-chair of the Section Political Marketing andCommunication of the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA).
- Visiting Scholar at the London School of Economics (1992), JyväskyläUniversity (2014, 2015), George Washington University (2016-2017), KU Leuven(2022).
- Visiting lecturer at: Universidad Autónoma de México, Universidad Panamericana, Leiden, Paris XII, Wroclaw, Universidad del Istmo, Georgetown, Los Andes, Austral, La Sabana.
Regular collaborator in news media
She is regular collaborator in news media. El País, El Mundo, Abc, Expansión, Rtve,Telecinco, Antena3, LaSexta, El Correo, among others.
María José Canel