María Teresa Quintero | IE School of Global and Public Affairs

María Teresa Quintero

About me

I’m María Teresa Quintero, a legal advisor born in Mexico. My passion has always been to help people, which I have channeled into my work solving complex legal issues in the tax, customs and foreign trade fields. As a professional, I’d consider myself to be a team player with strong leadership skills. Over the years I’ve developed a high aptitude for legal research, stemming from my commitment and desire to understand the most diverse and complex legal problems.

María Teresa Quintero
Master’s student, International Trade Associate (Holland & Knight LLP)
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Executive Master in International Trade
María Teresa Quintero | IE School of Global and Public Affairs

“I love that the professors teach you what is really required to thrive in today’s business world.”

María Teresa Quintero

I started out my academic career at La Salle University in 2012, where I completed a Bachelor in Law. I was lucky enough to be awarded a scholarship for my studies there, eventually attaining a diploma with distinction. After that, I decided to specialize primarily in tax law, completing a year-long specialization program at Universidad Escuela Libre de Derecho before earning an LLM in tax law from Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City.

As an internationally oriented individual, I was enthusiastic to gain academic and legal experience in other countries. I knew it would be useful to build some knowledge about the international workings of the legal system, so I completed a diploma in US taxation from New York University in 2016 followed by a diploma in international trade negotiations at El Colegio de Mexico in 2018. Having really enjoyed the experience of studying abroad in Zaragoza during my undergraduate degree, I set myself the goal of attaining my master’s degree from a university abroad, preferably in Spain. That said, I was delighted to be accepted onto the Executive Master in International Trade at IE.

My professional experience related to international trade matters began when I was in the middle of my bachelor’s degree when José Antonio Cuéllar, one of my professors at Universidad la Salle, gave me the opportunity to work in his firm, which specializes in international trade and where I collaborated for 8 years.

I also co-founded the only existing think tank in Mexico that specializes in international trade affairs: TradeTankMx. Before IE, I was working as an associate at a company called Sánchez Devanny Law Firm in Mexico, which is highly regarded as among the nation’s top firms working in international trade matters.

The same week that IE confirmed my admission to the Executive Master in International Trade, Carlos Véjar, one of my professors at El Colegio de México, offered a position in the international trade department of Holland & Knight’s Mexico City office, where he is partner. The firm is ranked as a Band 3 (of 6) company, meaning it is among the best for international trade in Mexico. With an offer like this on the table, the flexibility of the program at IE seemed perfect for me, as it meant I could study and continue advancing my career at the same time.

Choosing IE for my further studies also gave me the opportunity to attend an international university, which is something I’d always wanted to do. Immediately after finishing my bachelor’s degree, I was assigned an important project involving tax law issues at the firm I was working for, so I focused on completing a tax law specialization in Mexico. Getting married shortly afterwards meant it would be more difficult to study my master’s degree abroad, so I once again opted to stay in Mexico for my LLM in taxation. Before the executive master at IE, I was still set on the idea of studying abroad—but I was struggling to find an option that would allow me to continue working, take care of my parents, brothers and my husband.

“The Executive Master in International Trade was the perfect fit. Its flexible, online format meant I could specialize in a field I’m passionate about while simultaneously advancing my career.”

I finally found my solution when Arancha González, a member of the Advisory Board at TradeTankMx, recommended to consider the master at IE. I quickly realized that the Executive Master in International Trade was the perfect fit. It is specialized in the field I am most passionate about and provides flexibility via the online format, meaning I can continue working as well and take care of my parents, brothers and my husband. On top of that, I instantly felt connected to the philosophy of the university because it emphasizes a humanistic approach just as much as a business approach, which is a value I also hold true. With all this in mind, being awarded the She Trades Scholarship to undertake the program was the ultimate bonus for me.

Through the She Trades scholarship I achieved the dream I had to enrich my knowledge about international trade, to provide a better advice to women, young people and small and medium enterprises in Mexico, who need to export their products and services to various parts of the world. It is also a tool that will allow me to help producers from other nations to have access to trade in my nation and the United States.

“Having been awarded the She Trades scholarship, I am committed to being one of the pillars that will help achieve the objective of this program, which is to connect three million women entrepreneurs with the market by next year. I will not rest until that goal is achieved and I will continue to work so that in the years to come more women and young people will benefit from foreign trade for a better world.”

From an academic perspective, I knew that the international orientation of IE University would enrich my learning experience. I’ve been privileged to meet successful professionals from various academic backgrounds and many different countries, all of whom have been willing to contribute their cultural and professional experiences to our classes. This aspect has been really beneficial for deepening my knowledge of international trade law, becoming aware of different perspectives and solutions to a problem and expanding my vision. I’ve also enjoyed meeting people from different religious backgrounds, from whom I have learned other important values.

So far, I can honestly say that studying the Executive Master in International Trade at IE has been the best experience I’ve had in my life. From the comfort of my home, I can have an international experience and take classes with the best professors in the world. The online platform is very engaging and delivers the feel of personalized classes.  I also love that the professors are concrete in their explanations and teach you what is really required to thrive in today’s business world.

After my studies, it would be great to collaborate with my EMIT peers on a project that supports companies from all over the world in the fields of finance, advertising, business and law, drawing on our different areas of expertise and experience. I truly believe that we could create strong links.

Ultimately, my long-term goal is to work with people from all over the world in internationalizing their products for Mexican and US markets. In particular, I’d like to focus on supporting SMEs and other women in the industry.

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