Stepping Through The Forbidden Doorway
August 15, 2024, 2:48 pm
Fourteen was the age of my first job in Woolworths, Perth Australia where I received S14.67 for 3.5 hrs work. Higher education led to me to the fields of dental therapy, occupational therapy, academia, occupational health and safety, guardianship and administration and then public health and population ageing.
After more than two decades I chose to step down in December 2023 from the most inspiring, challenging, exhausting jobs of my professional life, the position of Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing.
The journey was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. Starting with one part time staff member the organisation has grown exponentially not only in terms of human and financial resources but knowing who we are and what we do.
Every single opportunity for the organisation was a personal and professional opportunity to learn from eminent thought leaders globally, problem solve with the best yet ultimately develop my own leadership style underpinned by values that are intrinsic to who I am.
Stepping down from the position of Secretary General, prompted many congratulations for the decision or perhaps it was for surviving the 22 years. Other responses leant more to concerns about ‘who am I without my career’, and the sudden retirement syndrome of how I fill my time and find fulfillment without work.’
The UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) is a global collaboration, aligned with the last ten years of the Sustainable Development Goals, and several other intergovernmental plans (e.g. WHO Immunisation Agenda 2030) to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
Yet even for colleagues in the field of population ageing the conversation about the latter third of life is pre-empted by the question ‘what are you going to do now?’ This question can now be answered but its not what you are going to do, but who am I going to be!
Knowledge, experiences and expertise gained across my career will be used to help inform policy, strengthen multistakeholder engagements, inspire strategic planning and implementation, and connect, mentor and inspire those that care about the current and future generations of older people.
The door to enter this part of my life is far from menacing, the passion to be part of positive change remains strong and I remain steadfast in my commitment through formal and informal engagements.