In a world that rewards silence over emotion and perfection over presence, Ignacio Bonasa chose to break the pattern. From the heights of executive leadership in banking to the deep trenches of emotional truth, he reinvented himself not by escaping pain—but by walking through it. Today, he leads one of the most soulful, inspiring, and socially impactful initiatives of our time: Turn the Table (Dale la Vuelta a la Tortilla), a global movement dedicated to transforming personal and collective suffering into strength, healing, and leadership.
As President of the International Association Turn the Table, Ignacio is building something more than an organization—a new narrative. One where brokenness is no longer hidden, but honored, and truth becomes transformation. And one where every person, regardless of their story, is invited to start again. Ignacio Bonasa is also the Founder of Liderarte, an effective talent management organization.
The Beginning of a Transformational Journey
We started the session by asking, “Can you tell us about your professional journey and what led you to your current role?”
Ignacio shared, “My professional path began in traditional leadership: I was an executive in banking, a CEO, a strategist. I knew how to lead teams, manage budgets, and achieve KPIs. But something was missing, something I couldn’t name at first.
After experiencing personal adversity, I realized that no title, salary, or recognition could replace the need for meaning. That’s when I decided to leave behind what was expected of me and create something radically different. A space where the soul is not a weakness but a source of leadership.
That vision became Turn the Table (Dale la Vuelta a la Tortilla), a global movement born from my own pain, and shared today by hundreds of people across countries. I now serve as President of the International Association – Turn the Table, where we help individuals, teams, and organizations turn their lowest moments into their greatest source of growth.”
Leading a Movement
We requested Ignacio Bonasa to share the features that set their business apart from competitors in the industry.
He explained, “We’re not just a business—a movement. And we’re not here to compete, we’re here to heal. What makes Turn the Table unique is that we do not offer advice or solutions. We offer truth, community, and courage. We gather people who have been through deep emotional pain and guide them through processes of transformation using storytelling, art, dialogue, and vulnerability.
Most organizations focus on performance. We focus on presence. Most development programs aim to fix, but we invite people to feel, reflect, express, and reimagine themselves. Our impact is emotional, social, organizational, and always human.”
Triumphs at Turn the Table
We further asked, “What has been your biggest achievement to date?”
“There are many milestones I could mention. International recognition, awards, partnerships—but honestly, my greatest achievement is seeing someone who was broken, stand up and say that they want to help others do the same. It happened during our very first Turn the Table live session. Five brave souls shared their most painful experiences, publicly, without shame. That day, I understood: this isn’t about me, it’s about all of us.
Today we have a community spreading across countries, a radio program, circles of dialogue, corporate workshops, and even entire organizations shifting their culture after applying our model. But at its core, our biggest achievement is creating a space where humanity is allowed back into leadership,” Ignacio added.
Leading with Emotional Authenticity
As an industry leader impacting countless lives in the process, Ignacio Bonasa believes in leading with authenticity. To learn more about the aspect, we asked him to describe his leadership style.
He mentioned, “I lead through emotional authenticity. I believe in showing up with my story, my vulnerability, and my imperfections. I do not believe in leadership that hides behind roles, titles, or status.
My leadership style is circular, inclusive, and profoundly human. I don’t lead to be admired, rather, I lead to awaken. I invite others to share their truth because I know that truth shared becomes truth transformed. I facilitate spaces where people reconnect with who they really are, not who they pretend to be. I often say that leadership begins when you dare to tell your story out loud. And that’s how I lead—by going first.”
Empowering Different Journeys
Everyone has a unique journey that needs to be valued and respected, and not judged. So, we asked, “What strategies do you use to motivate and develop talent in your organization?”
Ignacio reflected, “At Turn the Table, we do not manage talent—we honor people’s journeys. Everyone in our organization has lived through something real. Many of us carry emotional scars, and that’s exactly what makes us powerful.
Our strategy is based on three principles. Firstly, we recognize the person behind the role. We also prioritize narrative empowerment, where they reframe their story as a source of strength. And lastly, by fostering creative expression, with art, dialogue, and experiential tools as a medium, we help them unlock their potential.
We avoid asking what they can offer, rather, we care about the truth they carry and how it can help others grow. That’s where our strength comes from.”
Embracing AI and Innovation
AI has been playing an instrumental role across industries. To understand how Ignacio Bonasa implements innovative solutions in his organization, we asked, “What role do you see artificial intelligence or technology playing in this industry?”
“Technology can be a beautiful ally, if we keep it human. In Turn the Table, we’re beginning to explore AI to help us gather emotional trends, personalize content, and reach more people across the globe. But our rule is clear: technology must serve the soul, not replace it. We envision platforms where people can share their stories safely, receive guidance, and connect with others who have turned their tables too. AI will help us scale, but the human heartbeat will always remain at the center,” he responded.
Envisioning the Future: Prioritizing Connections
Intrigued to understand Ignacio Bonasa’s perspective on the future of his field, we posed the question, “How do you envision the future of your industry?”
Ignacio mentioned, “The future belongs to movements, not methods. People are tired of superficial solutions. They crave meaning, belonging, and truth. I believe the future of human development will be emotional, artistic, and collective. We will move away from top-down management and into co-creation. Organizations will measure emotional safety, and leaders will be trained in storytelling, empathy, and resilience.
The world doesn’t need more content. It needs a connection. And Turn the Table will continue to be at the forefront of that transition—from performance to presence, from noise to meaning.”
Navigating through Challenging Phases
Challenges are an inevitable part of growth in every professional journey. To learn more about the challenging phases Ignacio overcame in his organization, we inquired, “What have been some of the most significant hurdles you’ve encountered in your business, and how did you address them?”
“The first and biggest hurdle was credibility. People didn’t understand why a former banking executive was suddenly talking about emotion, art, and pain. I was told more than once that it would never work in the corporate world.
But I knew something they didn’t: everybody hurts, especially in leadership. And nobody is offering spaces to talk about it. I addressed this by showing up. Telling my story. Being consistent. Today, the same people who doubted now recommend our programs. Because we don’t teach theory, we create transformation. And that always finds its way,” he explained.
An Advice that Stayed Forever
We also asked, “What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?”
Ignacio reflected, “If it comes from your truth, it will find its way into others—that single sentence became the backbone of Turn the Table. We don’t imitate, we originate. We don’t chase trends, we chase authenticity. Everything we do starts from truth and ends in connection. In a world obsessed with metrics, this advice reminded me that meaning is the most powerful metric of all.”
The Art of Balancing
Ensuring a seamless balance between fresh ideas and ongoing operations may seem a daunting task, but not for leaders like Ignacio Bonasa. Interested to learn more, we asked Ignacio, “How do you balance investing in new ideas with ensuring that ongoing operations remain successful?”
He explained, “Balance comes from alignment with purpose. If a new idea brings us closer to our mission, turning pain into collective growth, it is worth exploring. If it distracts us, we let it go. We don’t expand for the sake of expansion. We expand to deepen. Our strategy is slow, soulful, and sustainable. We measure everything against one core question: whether the new idea can bring more truth into the world. If the answer is positive, we invest. Because truth, ultimately, is what sustains us.”
A Movement of Truth and Transformation
Learning about the journey of Ignacio Bonasa and his perspective behind the organization, we were interested in understanding more about Turn the Table. So, we asked, “What exactly is Turn the Table, and how does it differ from other emotional wellbeing initiatives?”
“Turn the Table is not a methodology, nor a therapy. It is a movement of truth. It brings together people who have gone through adversity—illness, grief, failure, trauma, and turns those life experiences into fuel for personal and collective transformation.
What makes us different is that we don’t focus on recovery, we focus on reinvention. We don’t just question surviving the obstacles; rather, how we can lead from the same is our quest. We create spaces where pain becomes purpose, and vulnerability becomes value,” he shared.
Global Mission of Turn the Table
As Turn the Table is an internationally structured association, we requested Ignacio Bonasa to throw light on its main pillars of action.
Ignacio shared, “We are structured as an International Association, with a global mission and local roots. Our action pillars are:
- Turn the Table – Life: personal healing and emotional empowerment.
- Turn the Table – Leadership: training leaders to lead with soul.
- Turn the Table – Teams & Organizations: humanizing corporate culture.
- Turn the Table – Society: building emotional literacy and social inclusion.
We operate through programs, radio, summits, mentoring circles, and artistic experiences that allow the model to adapt to different contexts while preserving its emotional DNA.”
Turning Pain into Purpose
We were interested to learn who Turn the Table is for. So, we asked, “What kind of people join or are attracted to Turn the Table?”
Ignacio added, “People who are brave enough to tell their story. People who no longer want to hide behind success, strength, or silence. We attract leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, artists, parents, and anyone who has lived and dared to feel deeply. Most have experienced something that changed their life forever: a diagnosis, a loss, a betrayal, a burnout. What unites them is not their pain, but their willpower to transform it. Turn the Table gives them not only tools, but a tribe.”
Measuring the Ripple Effects
We wrapped up the session by asking, “How do you measure the social impact of Turn the Table?”
“We measure our impact in testimonies, awakenings, and ripple effects. Quantitatively, we track the number of participants across programs and countries, along with return rates and long-term involvement. Parallely, we also track requests for speaker engagements and organizational partnerships,” Ignacio concluded.
To learn more and join the transformational journey, follow Ignacio Bonasa on LinkedIn.
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