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Ignacio Bonasa President European Association for Wellbeing

Editorial

The Art of Leading People

Inaworldwhereleadershipisoftenmeasuredbyproﬁtmargins

andperformancecharts,aneweraisemerging—onethatvalues peopleoverprocesses,purposeoverposition,andwellbeingover workaholism.AttheforefrontofthismovementisIgnacioBonasa,a remarkableleaderredeﬁningthelandscapeoftalentdevelopmentin 2025.

IgnacioBonasa’sjourneyisbothinspiringandunconventional.Witha backgroundinlaw,business,anddecadesofexperienceatthehelmof majorﬁnancialinstitutionsacrossSpainandPortugal,hisleadership wasshapedintheheartofcorporatesystems.Butitwaswhenhetooka boldstepawayfromthetraditionalexecutivepaththathetruly discoveredhispurpose:toawakenthehumanspiritwithin organizationsandtransformleadershipthroughsoulandwellbeing.

Today,IgnaciostandsasthefounderofLiderarte,amovementthat infusesart,emotionallearning,andconsciousleadershipintothevery DNAofprofessionaldevelopment.Throughprogramslike Resetéate, whichhastouchedthelivesofthousands,andcampaignssuchas Dale la vuelta a la tortilla,heturnsadversityintopersonalpowerand reﬂectionintoaction.

AsPresidentoftheEuropeanAssociationforWellbeingandthe EuropeanAssociationofSoulfulOrganizations,Ignacioischampioning large-scaletransformation.Hisvisionincludesthecreationofa WellbeingAmbassadorsNetwork,aEuropeanSchoolofWellbeing,a WorkplaceHappinessObservatory,andaWellbeingCongressin Madrid—eachinitiativedesignedtoreimaginehowtalentisnurtured, supported,andcelebrated.

Ignacioreferstohimselfasa feliciólogo—adesignerofhappiness.His upcomingbook, La receta del bienestar,presentsacomprehensive modelofwellbeing,blendingbody,mind,purpose,andprofessionwith technology,ﬁnances,emotions,andrelationships.Hedoesn’tteach fromtheory—heteachesfromlivedexperience,andhismethods integrateartnotasdecoration,butastransformation.

Thiseditioncelebratesleaderswhoarenotonlydevelopingtalent,but alsoawakeninghumanitywithinit.IgnacioBonasarepresentsarare breedofleader—visionary,empathetic,andsoulfullystrategic.He leadswithauthenticity,vulnerability,andcreativecourage—qualities thatarenotjustinﬂuential,butdeeplynecessary

Ignacio Bonasa and the New Culture of Wellbeing: From Financial Leadership to Leading a European Movement with Soul and Action

Inclusive by Design: How Talent Development Drives Diversity?

Unlocking Human Potential: The New Age of Talent Development

June, 2025

Ignacio Bonasa

and the New Culture of Wellbeing:

From Financial Leadership to Leading a Europaean Movement with Soul and Action

President European Association for Wellbeing

Ignacio Bonasa

Vantage point matters. When leadership is holistic with an all-around approach, it holds the power to transform the world around it wholly In today’s VUCA(Volatility,Uncertainty,Complexity,andAmbiguity) times,suchinﬂuentialleadershipisaprerequisiteforshaping thefuturewithmodernglobaltalentdevelopment.

That is what as the President of the Euro- Ignacio Bonasa, peanAssociationforWellbeing,standsfor.

FromthePeakofSuccesstotheCenteroftheSoul

Your viewpoint deﬁnes your point of view It’s either macro–outside–in ormicro–inside-out It'seithertop-down, bottoms-up or side-by-side. However, can it be all and encompasseverythingatonce?

Yes.Whenyoubeginfromthecenterpoint.

IgnacioBonasaknowswhatitmeanstoleadfromthetop.But he chose something far more revolutionary: to lead from within

With a law degree, an MBAfrom ICADE, and a PDG from IESE,hehasspentovertwodecadesasatopexecutiveinthe ﬁnancialsector.Heheldhigh-rankingpositionsininstitutions such as Banco Exterior, Argentaria, BBVA, Caja Rural de Aragón, and BBVA Portugal—where he was CEO—and servedasPresidentofBBVADineroExpress.

But as his career soared, something within him was quietly sinking:hisconnectionwithpurpose,emotion,andsoul.

“I was trained to lead through control. But I discovered that KPIs don’t measure true leadership—it’s measured by inner coherence,”hesays.

That internal rupture gave way to a personal rebirth. He founded Liderarte, his soul-and-talent-driven project. He createdprogramslikeResetéate(ResetYourself),whichhas transformed over 15,000 people, and launched the social movement Dale la vuelta a la tortilla (Flip the Tortilla), which transforms pain into soul-vitamin—a movement now supportedbyhundredsofpeopleandthe EuropeanAssociation for Wellbeing itself, where it’s promoted as a community-basedtoolforemotionalhealthandresilience.

With this journey, Ignacio Bonasa has been appointed President of the EuropeanAssociation forWellbeing, where he leads a quiet yet unstoppable revolution: bringing wellbeing back to where it truly belongs—the heart of life, organizations,andsociety

“I knew what it meant to lead from the top, yet I chose something far more revolutionary: to lead from within.”

But his impact doesn’t stop there. Ignacio also serves as PresidentoftheEuropeanAssociationofSoulfulOrganizations, promoting human, conscious, and sustainable businesscultures

Both presidencies Wellbeing and Soul nourish each other.Becausetherecanbenowellbeingwithoutsoul…and nosoulwithoutwellbeing.

BorntoCarefortheInvisible

Invisibilityistheshadowofvisibility.Andalmostallthetime, itishiddenbehindwhatisseen.Toseethroughthevisibleand confrontinvisibility,onemustbreaktheillusion.

The European Association for Wellbeing, founded in 2014, has a profound mission: to place emotional, social, and organizational wellbeing at the heart of Europe and Latin America IgnacioBonasahasrevitalizedthisinstitutionwitha visionthatblendsacademia,livedexperience,andart.

Vision: To be Europe’s beacon for holistic, emotional, organizational,andcommunity-basedwellbeing.

Mission:Tosupport,train,empower,andinspireindividuals, leaders, organizations, and institutions to build a new culture ofpurposefulwellbeing

Values: Humanity, compassion, coherence, art, emotional health, beauty, deep learning, practical spirituality, sustainability,andtransformativeaction

“I was trained to lead through control. But I discovered that KPIs don’t measure true leadership—it’s measured by inner coherence.”

AsthePresident,Ignaciohaslaunchedanambitiousstrategic plan:

• WellbeingAmbassadorsNetworkin10countries.

• European Congress on Integral Wellbeing (Madrid, 2025).

• EuropeanSchoolofWellbeing,withtrainingprograms forleaders,educators,andhealthcareteams.

• Conscious Wellbeing Seal, based on scientiﬁc and emotionalcriteria.

• European Observatory of Happiness and Workplace Wellbeing.

• And a ﬂagship project, BienestART, which integrates performing arts, mental health, and emotional learning asapathforsocialtransformation.

The“Feliciologist”WhoTransformswithArtandTruth

Every soul craves happiness. Yet, in this conﬂicted world, happinessiswhateludesthesoulthemost.

That is why Ignacio Bonasa deﬁnes himself as a feliciólogo (feliciologist): “I study happiness, I design it, I share it. But notfromtheory…fromthesoul.”

Hispassionfortheperformingartsisnotahobby—it’sapath of transformation. He has turned theatre, music, bodywork, andspokenwordintovehiclesforlearningandwellbeing.In hisprograms,artisnotatool.Itistheheart.

“At the European Association for Wellbeing and European Association of Soulful Organizations, we are on an unstoppable revolution: bringing wellbeing back to where it truly belongs—the heart of life, organizations, and society.”

And there’s another lifelong passion that deﬁnes him: traveling. Not for tourism—but for the soul. Because every journey is a metaphor for leadership: to leave, discover, exposeoneself,listen,andreturnchanged.

These two passions—art and travel—have led him to create experientialmethodologiessuchasAprendizajeporelArte® (LearningThroughArt)andtopromoteinitiativeslikeDalela vueltaalatortilla,thesocialmovementheleadsalongsidethe European Association for Wellbeing, bringing emotional healthtoindividuals,neighborhoods,schools,andvulnerable communities.

“We want no one to be left out of wellbeing. That’s why we go topeople—wedon’twaitinanoﬃce,”hesays.

TheRecipeforWellbeing

Being overtly well is not holistic wellbeing. Only when the fountain of inner delight spreads through the spirit does one get immersed in the real happiness that leads to wholesome wellbeing.

In 2025, Ignacio Bonasa’s new book will be released: “La receta del bienestar: una fórmula para ser más feliz” (The WellbeingRecipe:AFormulaforGreaterHappiness).

It’snotamanual—it’sadeclarationofintent.

Therecipeisbasedoneightdimensionsofholisticwellbeing that Ignacio has developed through his life and professional journey:

~Body–Takingcareofthevehiclethatcarriesusthroughlife.

~Mind–Creatingspaceforsilence,reﬂection,andfocus.

~Emotions–Feeling,naming,managing,andreleasing.

~Purpose–Connectingwithwhatgiveslifemeaning.

~Relationships–Relatingfromnourishment,notneed.

~Profession–Workingwithcoherenceandvocation.

“The book, La receta del bienestar: una fórmula para ser más feliz” (The Wellbeing Recipe: A Formula for Greater Happiness) will oer tools, exercises, reections, art, and reallife stories to guide each reader on their personal journey toward wellbeing—not as decor, but as deep-rooted truth.”

~Finances–Usingmoneyasenergy,notasaprison.

~Technology–Engagingwiththedigitalworldconsciously.

Thebookwilloﬀertools,exercises,reﬂections,art,andreallife stories to guide each reader on their personal journey towardwellbeing—notasdecor,butasdeep-rootedtruth.

LeadingwithSoul,CaringwithVision

IgnacioBonasaleadstheEuropeanAssociationforWellbeing not from status but from coherence. His life, choices, and wordsarealigned.

FromLiderarte,hiscoreproject,hehasdevelopedpedagogicalexperiencesthatnownourishtheAssociation:

• Resetéate,

• BienestART,

• Artelicidad,

• Womentoring,

• Dalelavueltaalatortilla,

• OrganizacionesconAlma(OrganizationswithSoul),

• AprendizajeporelArte®(LearningThroughArt).

This synergy between institution and project allows him to scale impact without losing the essence Because with Ignacio, there’s no diﬀerence between the professional and thehumanbeing—everythingbeatsinunison.

TheAssociation’sroadmapisclear:

• Bringingarttocompaniesasorganizationalmedicine.

• Bringing mental health to schools through creativity, play,andemotion.

• Bringing wellbeing to cities through soulful public policy

• Buildinganetworkofleaderswhocare—andarecared for.

• Creatingaculturewherefeelinggoodisnotaprivilege butaright.

• And above all, touching souls—not from theory, but throughexperience.

Epilogue–TheWellbeingRevolutionHasAlreadyBegun

IgnacioBonasadoesn’ttalkaboutthefuture—hebuildsit.

Hedoesn’tspeakofhappinessasadestination—hepractices itasapath.

Andhedoesn’tleadwithformulas—heleadswithsoul.

Through the European Association for Wellbeing, he is launching a profound movement that unites art, science, emotion,andpurpose.AndwiththeEuropeanAssociationof Soulful Organizations, he is building a network of organizations that understand that wellbeing is not a cost—it’saninvestment.

And through his own life, he inspires thousands to ask themselves: “What would need to change in my life to truly liveinpeace?”

Ignacio Bonasa doesn’t seek followers—he seeks to be of service. He doesn’t aim to convince—he aims to inspire. Becausewellbeingcannotbeimposed.Itmustbeignited.And thisrevolution,thoughserene,hasalreadybegun.

How Talent Development Drives Diversity?

Inthemodernworkplace,diversityandinclusion(D&I) arestrategicimperatives—notmoralrequirementsor checkboxcompliance.Tomorrow'sinnovative companiesknowthatperformance,innovation,andlongtermsustainabilitydirectlycorrelatetopeoplediversityand cultureinclusiveness.Whilerecruitmentisacritical componentofachievingrepresentation,therealdriverof sustaineddiversityisinclusivetalentdevelopment.

Talentdevelopment,beingequity-informed,isan acceleratorofnotonlyindividualtalent,butalsoof organizationalculturewhereeveryemployeefeels empowered,valued,andseen.Equitable-designed,it ensuresthatopportunityisnotforsome—butcraftedfor many

MovingBeyondRepresentation:TheEquityGapin Development

Diversityhiringisjustthebeginning.Thetoughestpartis ensuringthatwhenindividualsfromdiversebackgrounds becomepartofanorganization,theyhaveanequalchance ofgrowth,promotion,andimpact.Thisiswheremost organizationsgowrong—fallingintothecycleof unintentionalexclusionbynotlinkingdevelopmenteﬀorts withspeciﬁcneeds,backgrounds,andabilitiesof underrepresentedemployees.

Implicitbias,rigidpromotionroutes,andtheabsenceof mentorshipcansubtlyperpetuateinequality-evenin otherwisewell-intentionedorganizations.Noninclusive talentgrowthhasthepotentialtobeself-selecting,where onlytheonesalready"ﬁttedforthemold"gainanything. Inclusivetalentgrowth,bycontrast,deliberatelybreaksthat mold.

DesigningforEquity:IntentionalStructuresand Systems

Inordertobeeﬀective,talentdevelopmentmustbe intentionalfromthestart.Thatisfollowedbyagenuine assessmentofwhatexists:Whoarelookingatbig-name projects?Whoseleadershippotentialisbeingdeﬁned? Whoselearningneedsarebeingmet?

Bydisaggregatingdatabyrace,gender,age,disability,and otheridentitydimensions,organizationscanidentifywhere thegapslieandchanneldevelopmentprogramstoﬁllthe gaps.Thismaymeantailoredleadershippipelinesfor groupsthathavehistoricallybeenunderrepresentedin leadership,inclusivementoringandcoachingnetworks,or neurodiverseandadaptivelearningmodelsthatadaptto diﬀerentlearningstyles.

Thegoalistobuildsystemsoftalentdevelopmentthat mainstreamdiverseleadership—notasaremedialmeasure, butasaproactiveandsustainablenorm.

LearningThatEncouragesBelonging

Awell-craftedtalentdevelopmentprogramaccomplishes morethanitteachespeopleskills—itsustainsthesenseof belongingandpsychologicalsafety Whenindividualssee folkslikethemadvancingandrewardedfortheirunique talents,itsendsanexcellentmessage:"Youbelonghere."

Likewise,learningcontentmustbeinclusiveinvalues. Scenariostudies,casestudies,andleadershipmodelsbased onvariousperspectiveshelpshiftmentalmodelsofwhat successlookslike.Inclusiveinstruction-trainedfacilitators leadmoreengagingdebatesandensureallvoicesareheard andvalued.

Thisstrategynotonlyservesdiverseparticipantsbutalso theorganizationatlargebyfosteringempathy,cooperation, andincreasedculturalintelligenceamongteams.

CreatingDiverseLeadershipWithin

Oneofthegreatestsignsofaninclusivecompanyis leadershipleveldiversityrepresentation.Butleadersof diversityaren'tbornonawhim—instead,they're intentionallybuilt.Inclusivetalentdevelopmentnoticesthat andtriestocreatefuture-proof,diverseleadershippipelines internally.

Thiscanmeanrethinkingtraditionalleadership developmentmodelstoincludesponsorshipandmentorship tobringhigh-potentialcandidatesforpromotionfaster,lest theybeoverlookedotherwise.

Itcanmeanremovingsubtlebarrierssuchasvague promotioncriteriaormuddledsuccessionplanning.

Thebusinesscaseisself-evident:companieswithdiverse leadershiparemoreinnovative,morerobust,andmore attunedtothepeopleandmarketstheyserve.

MeasuringImpact,NotJustActivity

Toensureinclusivityisnotperformative,businessesmust measureoutcomes,notactivity.Thisinvolvessetting measurablegoalsforrepresentationthroughdevelopment programs,measuringdevelopmentsovertime,andholding leadersresponsiblefordevelopinginclusivecultures.

Equityaudits,pulsesurveys,andemployeeengagement metricscanoffervaluableinformationabouttheinfluence oftalentdevelopmentefforts.Areallemployeesfromall backgroundscomingalongatthesamerate?Arethey movingaheadatequalspeeds?Aretheyretaining themselvesandreferringothers?

Measurementisn'taboutoptics—it'saboutknowinglived experiencesandleveragingdatatocreateongoing improvement.

Conclusion:InclusionbyDesign,NotbyDefault

Diversitydoesnotsucceedinisolation—itrequirestobe nourished,promoted,andempoweredbyinclusivetalent development.Asworkevolves,thesuccessfulorganizations willbeonesthatintentionallyprovidepathsforalltalentto rise.Inclusivebydesigninvolvesacknowledginghistorical disparitiesandstrategizingsolutionsaheadoftime,ones thattapthefullpotentialofallindividuals.

Whentalentdevelopmentisbasedonequity,itmovesfrom abusinessfunctiontoatoolofculturaltransformation.It communicatesthateveryone,regardlessofbackground, identity,andsituation,isaninvestmentworthmaking—and leadershippotential.That'snotinclusion.That's transformation.

The New Age of Talent Development

Intoday'srapidlychanging,rapidlymoving globaleconomy,talentdevelopmentisaprime driveroforganizationalsuccess.Thetraditional approach—essentiallyskillstrainingandcareer growth—isinsuﬃcienttomeetthemultidimensional needsoftoday'sworkforce.Instead,amore coordinated,morestrategic,morepeople-centered modeloftalentdevelopmentisemergingwithan emphasisonreleasingmaximumhumanpotentialand connectingdevelopmenttoorganizationalgoals.

Thisisanewtalentdevelopmentage,aparadigm shiftinwhichitisrealizedthatinvestmentinhuman beingsisthemostsustainablewayofdeveloping innovation,agility,andresilienceinanever-changing businessenvironment.

BeyondSkills:DevelopingtheWholePerson

Today,talentdevelopmentisfarbeyondthetechnical skill.Itencompassesemotionalintelligence, leadershipability,ﬂexibility,andorientation development.Theseabilitiesenabletheemployeeto workunderuncertainty,workinateam,and encourageongoingimprovement.

Organizationsincreasinglywanttohavelearning experiencesthatarecharacterizedbyindividualstrengths, goals,andlearningstyle.Customizationnotonlyproduces higherlevelsofinvolvementbutalsobuildscapabilityin areasthatwillbemostcriticalforfuturesuccess.

HarnessingTechnologyforImprovedLearning

Breakthroughsindigitaltechnologyhaverevolutionized provisionandassessmentoftalentdevelopment.Learning managementplatforms,artiﬁcialintelligence,virtualreality, anddataanalysisenableorganizationstocreateengaging, scalable,anddata-drivenlearningjourneys.

Technologyfacilitatesjust-in-timelearning,peer-to-peer collaboration,andreal-timefeedback,deliveringaﬂexible environmentthroughwhichtalentcanacquirenewskills andknowledgeathighvelocity.Predictiveanalyticsalso facilitatethediscoveryoftalentgapsaswellasforesight intofutureworkforceneedsindevelopingearlyplans.

EstablishingaCultureofContinuousLearning

Successfultalentbuildingrequiresmorethanprograms;it requireslearning-and-growthmindsetculture.Leadersplay animportantroleinrole-modelingthatkindofmindsetby beingcurious,experimenting,andlearningtogether

Organizationsembracingpsychologicalsafetyallow employeestoexperiment,discoverfromerrors,and innovatefreely.Thatisastatethatbringsaboutcreativity andinterest,andtalentbuildingisabusinessdriverof transformation.

AligningBusinessStrategywithTalentDevelopment

Themosteﬀectivetalentdevelopmentinitiativesarethose mostconnectedtoorganizationalstrategy.Organizational objectivestiedtoindividualdevelopmentensure investmentsintalentreturntangiblevalue.

Alignmentisthroughclearcommunicationofobjectives, performancemeasurementsthatlinktodevelopment outcomes,andleadershipinvolvementinmentoringand coaching.Whereemployees'developmenthasopenlinkage toorganizationalachievement,motivationandretentionare radicallyimproved.

PreparingfortheFutureWorkforce

Thejobofthefutureneedsaﬂexible,digitallysavvy, problem-solvingwork-force.

Thedevelopmentoftalentmustbeforward-thinkingand future-proofworkersfortoday'sjobsandfuturepotential challengesandopportunities.

Allofthisvisioninvolvesbuildingcross-functionalskills, culturalawareness,andethicaldecision-making.Building resiliencetobeabletosurvive,letaloneﬂourish,inthe midstofdisruptionandconstantchangeisalsoinvolved.

Conclusion:UnlockingPotentialasaStrategic Imperative

Theeraofnewtalentdevelopmentisaprocessofevolution thatrealizeshumanpotentialatbusinessandindividual levels.Byadoptingcomprehensivedevelopment, leveragingtechnology,developingacultureoflearning,and linkingdevelopmenttobusinessoutcomes,organizations setthemselvesupforlong-termsuccess.

Inaworldwherehumanbeingsarethemostvaluable resource,releasinghumanpotentialisnotanHRtalent managementtask—itisanecessityforbusinesstomorrow