Catia Arnaut: Transforming the Science of Happiness into a Strategy for Better Business and Better Lives

In an age where organizational success is increasingly measured by more than financial performance, Catia Arnaut is championing a powerful idea: happiness is not simply an emotion—it is a measurable driver of productivity, innovation, and sustainable success.

With an exceptional academic background spanning economics, strategic management, project management, and globalization studies, Arnaut has built a multidisciplinary career that bridges business strategy with the science of human well-being. Holding an MSc in Economics, an MBA in Management and Strategic Planning, a Master’s in Project Management, and a PhD in Globalization Studies with a thesis focused on national well-being, she has dedicated her professional journey to understanding how individuals, organizations, and societies can thrive.

Before becoming an internationally recognized advocate for happiness science, Arnaut spent more than two decades leading complex projects across the telecommunications and information technology industries. Her career took her across Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, Angola, and Switzerland, providing her with valuable international experience in business transformation, organizational leadership, and strategic project execution.

Her outstanding contributions to project management were recognized when she received the prestigious Project Manager of the Year award from the Project Management Institute (PMI) Portugal Chapter—an achievement that highlighted her excellence in leadership, innovation, and delivering impactful business outcomes.

Today, Catia Arnaut is the Founder and Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) of Happyology – The Science of Happiness, an organization dedicated to helping businesses, leaders, and individuals create healthier, more engaged, and higher-performing environments through evidence-based well-being strategies.

Through Happyology, she combines academic research with practical business applications, demonstrating how happiness, employee engagement, and emotional well-being directly influence organizational performance, leadership effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. Her work reflects the growing recognition that people-centered organizations consistently outperform those focused solely on traditional business metrics.

Beyond consulting and executive advisory, Arnaut has made significant contributions to academic and professional literature. She is the author of five books, has written two scientific book chapters, published four research papers, and contributed numerous articles to leading business magazines. Her writing explores topics including leadership, organizational culture, happiness economics, globalization, and workplace transformation, helping translate complex research into practical strategies for modern organizations.