Graduated from the University of Zaragoza (Spain), Dr Laguens started his veterinary career as a large animal practitioner in the province of Soria; after 11 years, he became Veterinary Public Health Officer of the Junta de Castilla y León, where he worked from 1990 to 2017.

He has a Diploma in High Specialization in Food Technology from the “Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (C.S.I.C.)”. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Spanish Food Safety Agency (AECOSAN) from 2003 to 2007.

Dr. Laguens also worked in the design, advice and management of several Internet databases to register pets and horses.

At the national and European level, he has been involved in different projects related to Veterinary Continuing Education, such as the Evaluation Committee of the Spanish Ministry of Health (MSPS), the Institute for Health Sciences of Castilla y León and the initiative Veterinary Continuous Education in Europe (VetCEE). He has been webmaster of a veterinary web portal and editor of the veterinary Public Health journal "Hygia" (2019-2020).

Dr. Laguens has held different positions in the Spanish Veterinary Statutory Body (Organización Colegial Veterinaria Española) at provincial, regional, national and international level. He was Councillor for Europe of the World Veterinary Association (WVA) from 2011 to 2017. He served as President of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) from 2015 to 2019. He was President Elect of WVA from 2020 to 2022, chairing the Standing Committee for the Organization of the WVA Congresses.

Currently, he is President of the "Colegio Oficial de Veterinarios de Soria", and works as a consultant on communication, education and technology.

Dr Rafael Laguens took the office of World Veterinary Association President on March 30th, 2022.