admin At The Leaders Globe, our team of professionals conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Ignacio Bonasa Alzuria, President of the European Wellbeing Association and Professor of the BienestART (Art & Wellbeing) Chair.
Speaking with him is like entering a space where art, science, and soul converge — a dialogue where wellbeing ceases to be a fashionable buzzword and instead becomes an act of creation, compassion, and consciousness.
Across his work, Dr. Bonasa has championed a silent yet profound revolution: the revolution of humanizing leadership and reclaiming essence. His voice, resonating through universities, corporations, and international forums, carries one unwavering conviction: wellbeing is not a privilege; it is an art.
From transforming organizational cultures to redefining education and leadership, his journey stands as a beacon for a world struggling to balance ambition with authenticity. This is the story of a visionary who turned pain into purpose and art into a universal language for healing and transformation.
Where the Calling Began
When asked how his commitment to wellbeing began and why he decided to turn it into a European cause, Dr. Bonasa’s response was deeply personal and reflective.
“It was born from experience, from pain, and from awareness. For years I lived in environments where demand overshadowed humanity. I realized that wellbeing is not the absence of stress, but the presence of meaning. I decided to devote my life to rebuilding that balance in people and organizations.”
That personal awakening became the foundation for his lifelong pursuit: to rebuild the balance between performance and humanity, emotion and intellect, in both individuals and institutions.
The Vision Behind the European Wellbeing Association
When asked what the European Wellbeing Association means to him, he described it with a rare blend of depth and clarity.
“It is a platform of collective consciousness. A network of leaders, scientists, artists, and educators who believe that prosperity only makes sense when it is shared. The Association does not seek statistics; it seeks transformation.”
And why does Europe need such an association? His answer carried a philosophical weight.
“Because the continent that once taught philosophy to the world has forgotten its own soul. We must reclaim the ethics of care, empathy, and humanity as the cornerstones of our institutions.”
For Dr. Bonasa, the European Wellbeing Association is not just another organization; it is a movement.
“We are not a political lobby; we are a humanistic movement. We work through art, culture, and emotional education, with both scientific rigor and social sensitivity.”
BienestART: The Fusion of Art and Wellbeing
Dr. Bonasa also leads the BienestART Chair, an initiative that merges the beauty of art with the science of wellbeing. When asked what role art plays in this new paradigm, his response was poetic yet profound.
“Art is both a healing and pedagogical tool. Through creation, music, or color, people reconnect with their souls, unlock emotions, and rediscover their inner beauty. Art doesn’t teach; it awakens.”
When asked about the essence of the BienestART Chair, he explained:
“The union of art, science, and emotion. We aim to demonstrate that wellbeing can be learned, but also felt and lived. BienestART researches, educates, and experiments using art as a vehicle for integral growth.”
It’s this belief — that art can teach humanity to feel again — that defines the heartbeat of BienestART.
Measuring the Invisible
In a world obsessed with metrics, Dr. Bonasa introduces a revolutionary way to measure progress. When asked how he measures wellbeing, his answer was both unconventional and visionary.
“Through emotional indicators, not just economic ones. Instead of GDP, we speak of the Organizational Beauty Index, the Empathy Bandwidth, and the Soulprint. We measure the invisible, because the invisible is what weighs the most.”
His perspective reframes success, not as a numerical achievement, but as an emotional resonance that enriches both individuals and societies.
Art in the Corporate World
Art, in his view, holds immense power to transform modern business. When asked what role it plays in corporate life, he said:
“Art teaches us to feel, to collaborate, to innovate. It is a laboratory of emotions where talent flourishes. A company with art is a company with creativity, respect, and humanity.”
And when questioned whether art can change the economy itself, his response was immediate:
“Yes. Art can give rise to a new economy — the Economy of the Soul — one that generates beauty, cooperation, and wellbeing, not just profit.”
Through these ideas, Dr. Bonasa envisions a world where business success and human flourishing coexist harmoniously.
Transforming Pain into Healing
The conversation turned to his transformative movement, “Turn the Table” (from the Spanish Dale la Vuelta a la Tortilla), a phrase that beautifully captures his philosophy of resilience.
“Turn the Table is the most human expression of my work. It teaches that pain can be transformed into vitamin — that everything that hurts can heal when viewed through art, compassion, and learning.”
This philosophy — turning pain into purpose — is at the heart of his wellbeing revolution.
The 4A Model: A Blueprint for Balance
Dr. Bonasa’s 4A Model — Learning, Attitude, Soul, and Action — serves as a cornerstone of his approach to wellbeing.
“The 4As are the recipe for balance: learning self-awareness, adopting a positive attitude, acting from the soul, and turning it into meaningful actions. Wellbeing is not theory; it’s daily practice.”
For him, wellbeing is not an abstract ideal; it is cultivated through conscious, everyday effort.
Europe’s Wellbeing Challenge
When asked about the challenges Europe faces today in cultivating a culture of wellbeing, his answer reflected the tension of modern life.
“Haste, technological dehumanization, and the loss of silence. We live connected, yet empty. We must relearn how to breathe, to observe, and to listen.”
It’s a powerful reminder that progress without peace is merely acceleration without direction.
Leadership, Education, and Policy with Soul
Discussing the Association’s contribution to the corporate world, Dr. Bonasa elaborated:
“Through programs on soulful leadership, organizational wellbeing metrics, and Soulful Organization Certifications. We humanize systems without sacrificing efficiency.”
He also emphasized the importance of institutional responsibility.
“A vital one. Education must teach people how to live, not just how to compete. Governments should promote policies that measure social wellbeing as much as economic growth.”
When asked to define soulful leadership, he offered words that resonate beyond boardrooms.
“It’s leadership that inspires rather than imposes, that serves rather than dominates, that leaves a mark without wounding. To lead with soul is to direct with art and compassion.”
BienestART as a Way of Life
At its core, the BienestART concept embodies the harmony between feeling and creation.
“It fuses Wellbeing and Art. It represents the balance between feeling and creating. It’s about living in harmony, transforming pain into beauty, and turning art into universal medicine.”
Dr. Bonasa’s work through BienestART continues to inspire a movement that teaches the world to find beauty in every act of growth.
Lessons and Legacy
Reflecting on his journey, he shared his greatest personal insight.
“That nothing makes sense without soul. Power doesn’t transform, but love does. Every outer transformation begins within.”
When asked about the role of emotions in collective wellbeing, he responded with the empathy of a teacher and the wisdom of a philosopher.
“Emotions are the language of the soul. Repressing them makes us ill; expressing them heals us. A society that is emotionally literate will be fairer and freer.”
And where is the future of wellbeing headed? His vision is integrative and profoundly human.
“Toward an integrative model where science, art, spirituality, and technology unite to create a new humanism. It’s not about having more; it’s about being better.”
When asked to summarize his legacy in one line, he offered the words that have become his life’s mission:
“To turn art into wellbeing and wellbeing into art. Because when the soul is at peace, the world blooms.”
Closing Thought
Dr. Ignacio Bonasa Alzuria represents a rare kind of leadership — one that unites intellect with empathy, creativity with consciousness, and art with action. His ideas flow beyond the borders of academia and into the collective human experience.
Through his work at the European Wellbeing Association and the BienestART Chair, he is not merely promoting wellbeing; he is reimagining civilization through the lens of beauty, emotion, and purpose.
His vision challenges societies to move beyond performance metrics and rediscover their emotional intelligence — to measure success not by wealth, but by wisdom. The initiatives he leads redefine how organizations, governments, and individuals can nurture the human spirit without sacrificing growth or innovation.
In his world, art is medicine, compassion is power, and love is the most transformative force of all. His philosophy carries a universal truth: wellbeing is the art of living beautifully.
As humanity stands at the crossroads of progress and peace, Dr. Bonasa’s message resounds like a call to awakening — an invitation to lead, create, and live with soul.
Magazine 
