Born into a family business, Professor Cruz dedicates most of her teaching and research to studying organizations in which a family group is present and has an influence in strategic decision making.

The results of her research have been published in leading international academic journals including the “Academy of Management Journal”, “Administrative Science Quarterly”, “Journal of Business Venturing” or “Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice”. In recognition of this research work, in 2010, IE Business School awarded Professor Cruz with the “Research Excellence Award”, granted to the school´s best researchers.

Professor Cruz brings the results of her research to the classroom, where she tries to establish the idea that there is a need to preserve and transmit the entrepreneurial spirit to future generations. In line with this underlying philosophy, inside her classroom the topic is not “Family Business” but “Entrepreneurial Families” and “Family Venturing”.  The difference is substantial since the main focus is not helping family business to survive, but creating responsible family owners and more entrepreneurial family managers.

In 2013, the prestigious business school social web site “Poets & Quants” included her in the “40 Best Business Shools professors under 40” list.