Living Blue Zone

International

The Blue Team

Founders

Michel Poulain

President

An astrophysicist turned demographer, Michel has devoted himself to better understanding the mysteries of human longevity. As a researcher at the FNRS, he first contributed to improving statistics on international migration before becoming fascinated, in 1992, by centenarians. In the spring of 2000, he was the one who traced the very first Blue Zone in the mountains of Sardinia with a blue felt-tip pen. Since then, he has identified four other regions of the world where people live long and happy lives. Today, he devotes all his energy to sharing the 7 principles of long, happy and healthy living observed in these communities. It is in this spirit that he enthusiastically created and presides over Living Blue Zone International, to spread this philosophy throughout our modern societies.

Michel Poulain

Émilie Goffin

Secretary

A sociologist (Paris Nanterre University) and demographer (Catholic University of Louvain), Émilie specialises in managing projects with a strong social impact. A professor at a higher education institution for tourism in Wallonia and training manager in Namur, she combines academic rigour with practical experience. A collaborator of Michel’s since 1998, she is now the administrator-secretary of Living Blue Zone International, where she coordinates activities and actively participates in conferences and workshops. Committed, inspiring and pragmatic, she embodies the spirit of transmission and action of the project.

Émilie Goffin

Dominique Honhon

Treasurer

With a background in tourism, Dominique began her career at the King Baudouin Foundation, dedicated to serving the common good. After several years devoted to raising her three children, she joined a ministerial cabinet, where she observed the political and social dynamics that shape collective life.

Guided by a quest for meaning and balance, she trained as a hypnotherapist to support people through life transitions, helping them restore inner coherence and vitality.

Her journey naturally led her to the Blue Zones and to the creation of Living Blue Zone International, alongside Professor Michel Poulain.
Driven by a desire to bring people together and inspire transformation, she helps guide the project with coherence, integrity, and presence — fostering conscious, connected communities that contribute to a more balanced and sustainable society.

Dominique Honhon

Myriam De Mulder

Executive Director

After a brilliant career in tourism — notably as head of the British Tourist Office in Brussels — Myriam chose to continue her career by placing people at the centre of her priorities. Gifted in communication and driven by a rare empathy, she now puts her experience at the service of Living Blue Zone. As Michel’s life partner, she also shares his passion for happy longevity. As the day-to-day manager of the non-profit organisation, she supports initiatives that promote the seven principles of healthy living and helps to embed this movement in everyday life.

Myriam De Mulder

Living Blue Zone partners for Latin America

Marcela Ponce

 

Specialist in Growth Marketing and Digital Marketing, with 26 years of experience leading projects and processes in both public and private organizations. Her career combines strategy, creativity, and change management, driving sustainable, people-centered transformations. Committed, innovative, and results-oriented, she naturally integrates strategic vision with human sensitivity and a deep artistic and cultural perspective that enrich every project she leads.

Marcela Ponce

Ximena Hodge

 

Professor and Project Manager, Master in Management and Coach. With a Diploma in Longevity and Neurosciences, and more than 20 years of experience in education, social innovation, and human development. Her work is characterized by the design of methodologies and transformative learning experiences that foster connection, purpose, and personal and collective growth. Inspiring, practical, and deeply human, she embodies the constant search for meaning and evolution in every stage of life.

Ximena Hodge

Yean Carla Gandulfo

 

Civil Engineer in Computer Science and Master in Economics , with more than 20 years of experience in technological, financial, and administrative management. Recognized for her strategic thinking and ability to unite diverse teams toward common goals. Her approach combines analytical rigor, systemic vision, and a deep commitment to sustainability and social innovation.

Yean Carla Gandulfo

Marcela Ponce

Specialist in Growth Marketing and Digital Marketing, with 26 years of experience leading projects and processes in both public and private organizations. Her career combines strategy, creativity, and change management, driving sustainable, people-centered transformations. Committed, innovative, and results-oriented, she naturally integrates strategic vision with human sensitivity and a deep artistic and cultural perspective that enrich every project she leads.
Marcela Ponce

Ximena Hodge

Professor and Project Manager, Master in Management and Coach. With a Diploma in Longevity and Neurosciences, and more than 20 years of experience in education, social innovation, and human development. Her work is characterized by the design of methodologies and transformative learning experiences that foster connection, purpose, and personal and collective growth. Inspiring, practical, and deeply human, she embodies the constant search for meaning and evolution in every stage of life.
Ximena Hodge

Yean Carla Gandulfo

Civil Engineer in Computer Science and Master in Economics , with more than 20 years of experience in technological, financial, and administrative management. Recognized for her strategic thinking and ability to unite diverse teams toward common goals. Her approach combines analytical rigor, systemic vision, and a deep commitment to sustainability and social innovation.
Yean Carla Gandulfo