Max Barahona, PhD

Professor and researcher in international marketing and management specializing in artificial intelligence literacy and readiness, AI tools, technology adoption, and intercultural business.

Professor and consultant specializing in AI literacy and readiness, international business and marketing, and intercultural communication and management, with more than 20 years of teaching experience across France, the United States, Latin America, and Africa, from Bachelor’s programs to MBA and DBA levels. I currently serve as Visiting Professor in the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University, ATER (Assistant Professor) in Marketing and Management at IAE Montpellier, and Lecturer at Montpellier Business School.

My work focuses on how organizations adopt AI and navigate digital transformation in concrete marketing and management practice. In my courses, I integrate AI literacy, innovation, and technology adoption with active pedagogies, applied projects, and international case studies. I teach in English, French, and Spanish, and design hybrid and online learning environments for diverse cohorts.​

My recent writing and research explore intercultural communication management, AI systems adoption, and AI education, including A Framework for Thoughtful Adoption of AI in French Higher Education and the forthcoming Five‑Phase Framework for AI Organizational Adoption. These frameworks inform both my teaching and advisory work with universities and organizations seeking to integrate AI responsibly and strategically.​

Beyond the classroom, I host the trilingual podcast “GloCal: Global Issues, Local Perspectives” and the videocast “AI in 12 Paradoxes,” where I engage academics, policymakers, and practitioners on innovation, AI, climate, and economic transitions. I also draw on previous entrepreneurial experience in international trade and social-impact supply chains to ground discussions of strategy, sustainability, and global business practice.​