Dr Ignacio Bonasa
Ignacio Bonasa, President and Founder of Liderarte Talent Management, Chancellor for Europe of the International Official College of Doctors, and corresponding member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), was admitted on 24 June as a corresponding member in Zaragoza of the Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Humanities of Lanzarote, as part of the institution’s “Academic Activities. June 2026”, held at the Hotel Lancelot Playa in Arrecife, with the speech “The University of Happiness and Well-Being: A Social Necessity for a World in Transformation.” Bonasa also delivered the lecture “Humanist Leadership with Soul to Transform the World” at Harvard University, revisiting the ideas he had developed in the presentation “Leading with Soul in Times of Uncertainty: Leadership as a Vital Challenge for a New Era,” delivered during the 10th International Academic Meeting held by the Royal Corporation between 15 and 20 March in various German cities under the general title “The Rhine as a Current of Knowledge: Cross-Border Dialogues.”
In his admission speech to the Academy of Lanzarote, the expert presented what he considers the great paradox of progress: human beings have gained productivity, connectivity and technological development, yet these advances have not translated into an improvement in life itself. What was once exceptional has become permanent, such as uncertainty, acceleration, overexposure and the feeling of always arriving late to one’s own life. Demographic ageing, the mental health crisis, unwanted loneliness, polarisation, climate anxiety, automation and digital dependencies confirm, in his view, that many education systems are still preparing people for a model that no longer exists: one based on accumulating and competing rather than balancing and coexisting. Bonasa does not understand happiness as permanent euphoria or as an emotional obligation close to superficial hedonism, but rather as a vulnerable, imperfect and concrete sense of fulfilment that neither excludes pain nor denies conflict, but learns to move through them. Within this framework, the alliance between science and the humanities would be the means of restoring rigour and meaning to life. For the academic, well-being is neither a luxury nor an emotional embellishment: it is an educational, social and cultural necessity if we are to preserve our human grounding in a constantly changing world.
At Harvard, Bonasa argued that leadership can no longer be reduced to a technical or strategic function, but has become a vital challenge that requires sustaining lives, rebuilding trust and generating meaning. In this sense, he defined what he calls leadership with soul, built on self-knowledge and self-governance in order to manage one’s own limits and biases and make decisions with clarity; on ethical coherence and exemplary conduct to align words and actions; on care and well-being so that people can develop without being harmed; on deep listening and dialogue to foster trust in polarised environments; on inspiration and shared meaning to connect everyday work with a greater purpose; and on social responsibility and systemic vision to consider impact beyond the organisation. For the academic, this type of leadership generates healthier organisational cultures, increases psychological safety, reduces professional burnout and strengthens cohesion. Its impact also goes beyond the corporate sphere, as it influences society by shaping forms of coexistence, equity and intergenerational responsibility.
An expert in training, motivation and talent development, Bonasa has extensive experience as a business manager and leader of human teams. He has been President of BBVA Dinero Express, Chief Executive Officer of BBVA Portugal, Regional Director of BBVA in Barcelona and in Asturias and Cantabria, Regional Director of Argentaria in Castile and León, Asturias and the Canary Islands, Regional Director of Banco Exterior de España, President of Grupo TEOT, General Manager of Caja Rural de Aragón, Associate Director of Grupo Actúa, and President and Founder of several real estate companies. He holds an MBA from Icade and a PDG from IESE, and has received prestigious distinctions such as the Legal Essay and Classroom Research Award and the BEX Best Idea of the Year Award. Bonasa joined the Royal Academy on 14 January with the admission speech “Organisations with Soul: The New Paradigm of Humanist Leadership in the 21st Century”, in which he proposed a radical shift in the way leadership and business management are conceived, placing human teams at the centre and replacing the income statement as the primary focus of corporate strategy.
