4-Quarter Lives

This week on 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Lindsey Beagley, Senior Director of Lifelong University Engagement at Arizona State University. They discuss the growing interest of universities to re-design themselves for the new age of longevity, engaging with people throughout their lives rather than just as the outset. Lindsey describes how Arizona State University is doing so in its various programmes, and in particular their ground-breaking Mirabella University Retirement Community on the ASU Tempe campus – integrating a continuing care retirement community into a university campus. She talks about how older adults involved in the Mirabella program are eager to help young people as well as to continue their own learning, and how this desire to mentor and support younger generations has influenced the program's design and success. Lindsey Beagley currently serves as Senior Director of Lifelong University Engagement at Arizona State University. In this role, she launched Mirabella at ASU, a University Retirement Community on the ASU Tempe campus. She serves on the global council of the Age-Friendly University Global Network and on the board of directors for Heirloom Communities, intergenerational residential housing for low-income older adults and youth aging out of the foster care system. Beagley holds a master’s degree in public administration and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership and Innovation with a focus on intergenerational learning in college classrooms. Some Useful Links: * https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2024/08/08/longevity-boom-boost-higher-ed-opinion * https://www.mirabellaasu.org/*  https://learning.asu.edu/*  https://www.universityretirementcommunities.com* The Nexel Collaborative: https://thenexel.org/*  Age Friendly University Global Network: www.afugn.org * Heirloom Communities: https://www.heirloomcommunities.com/ Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In the latest episode of 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with former private equity partner Graham Heddle about the opportunities to use AI as a tool for personal reinvention.  They discuss Graham's own journey of career transition and how he harnessed the power of AI, particularly ChatGPT, for personal growth and exploration. Graham shares his insights on using AI as a co-intelligence tool, facilitating deep self-reflection, and finding new purpose after leaving a long-term career. Graham now divides his time between the charity and commercial sectors. He is Senior Advisor to recruitment firm ZRG, Chair of the Trustees at the charity Goods for Good, an ambassador at Brave Starts and Strategic Application Consultant at The Fore amongst other interests. While creating this diverse portfolio, he has been investigating AI and exploring its productive applications in both business and personal life.  Following 10 years in banking with Barclays, working in the UK, Germany and France, Graham Heddle spent 23 years as a partner at Primary Capital, a private equity firm based in London. Graham was both chair and non-executive director on several of the firm’s investments and a member of the investment committee. Graham’s first love was modern languages and after A Levels in French and German, he went on to complete his first joint honours degree in German and Spanish, with Portuguese and Dutch, at Nottingham University, then spent a year living and working in Brazil and Venezuela. He also has an MBA from INSEAD and enjoys giving guest lectures on the ups and downs of private equity investment and his current favourite subject: “how not to choose a career”. Some Useful Links:  * ZRG Partners website * Goods for Good website  * Brave Starts website * The Fore website * A Brief Guide to AI and How To Use It (with Appendices on Prompting)  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Anne Thevenet-Abitbol of French food giant, Danone.  Anne shares her insights on ageing, digital communication and the necessity of generational collaboration in today's workplace. She talks about the philosophy behind ageing without becoming 'old' and how personal and professional growth doesn't stop at any age. They discuss how she navigates the challenges of constant digital interaction and maintains authenticity and relatability in her communications. And Anne describes her journey from focusing on gender balance to advocating for generational balance, promoting a workplace where all ages are valued. After 12 years in the advertising industry, in 1998 Anne Thevenet-Abitbol was recruited as Foresight and New Concepts Director of Danone by Franck Riboud, president of Danone, to work alongside him on any subject likely to move the Group forward. She is often presented as an “ideas agitator”. In this atypical role, she suggests ideas, initiates and leads projects or areas of development. She intervenes on various marketing, social or societal subjects. She is an internal creative resource for all teams seeking an alternative perspective on their subjects and she also develops her own projects. Since 2010 she has designed and led the multi-company EVE Program to help women progress in organizations. Following this in 2012 she launched the OCTAVE Program, also inter-company, which aims to get generations to work better together and better integrate the impact of new technologies. And, more recently, she launched Nold – Never Old - a media platform and brand aiming to talk to an invisible generation of people who feel they are “too old to be young, but too young to be old”, and to change perception on ageing. Some useful links: * Website for the Octave intergenerational program * Nold Never Old website (French) * Nold Never Old Instagram * Nold Never Old Facebook * Website for The EVE program  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In the latest episode of 4-Quarter Lives Podcast, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox delves into the fascinating world of longitudinal studies with George Ploubidis, Professor of Population Health and Statistics at University College London. George offers invaluable insights into how these studies shape our understanding of health, economic circumstances, employment, family life and wellbeing across the life course. They discuss how large-scale, population-based surveys like the 1958 and 1970 British birth cohort studies provide crucial life course data across generations, informing social policies and public health interventions. George reveals surprising findings such as the deteriorating health of Generation X compared to baby boomers, despite overall improvements in living standards.  He argues that making longitudinal data freely available to researchers worldwide, reveals the huge value of open access for scientific advancement and policy development. George Ploubidis is Professor of Population Health and Statistics at the UCL Social Research Institute and Director of the 1958 National Child Development Study and the 1970 British Cohort Study at the Centre for Longitudinal Studies. He joined the Centre for Longitudinal Studies in 2014 as the Centre’s Chief Statistician, and in 2016 became CLS’s inaugural Director of Research. Prior to joining UCL George held posts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Cambridge. His research interests relate to socioeconomic and demographic determinants of health over the life course and the mechanisms that underlie generational differences in health, well-being and mortality. His methodological work in longitudinal surveys focuses on applications for handling missing data, causal inference and measurement errors. Some Useful Links: * George’s UCL website * Recent keynote: The future of ageing: A cross generational life course perspective  * Centre for Longitudinal Studies website (for all info CLS related). * CLS Data Access page (with information on how to access CLS data). * UK Data Service (where the data can be downloaded from). * Forbes Article by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox: The Battle Over Gen Z Minds, Sad, Bad or Mad?  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

This week on 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven, the Director of Health and Demography at the Geneva Association. This association is a leading think-tank exploring the issues the insurance industry faces and researching how insurance can contribute to a better world. Not surprisingly the insurance sector is ever more aware of the implications of ageing societies and how insurance products must continually adapt to changing needs. Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven has been the Director of Health and Demography at the Geneva Association since 2020. Her work at the GA focuses on the strategic and long-term research priorities of health and life insurers which is undertaken in collaboration with CEOs and senior executives of GA member companies, academic institutions as well as global organisations. Her work reflects the growing convergence of life and health insurance, against the backdrop of an emerging risk landscape brought about by new disease patterns, ageing, technology and other market disruptors that are central considerations for improving consumer access to risk protection and business sustainability.  Prior to joining the GA, Adrita has worked extensively in global health across the public and private sectors as well as with global multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and UKAID. She specialises in strategic purchasing of healthcare, health market analysis and has closely supported several high-level health financing interventions internationally. She has Masters degrees in health policy planning and financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics. Some Useful Links: * Website of The Geneva Association * Report from Geneva Association, with the Global Aging Institute: Financial Wellbeing: Is it Key to Reinventing Life Insurance? * Report from Geneva Association: New Care Models: How Insurers Can Rise to the Challenge of Older and Sicker Societies  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s 4-Quarter Lives Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with serial entrepreneur, renowned speaker and prolific author Peter Hinssen about his ideas on innovation and longevity, and perspectives on reinventing oneself. Peter has a unique background combining technology, entrepreneurship, leadership and storytelling. He believes constant reinvention is key for both companies and individuals to thrive in a rapidly changing world. His "Phoenix" model for organizational reinvention can also be applied to personal reinvention, and he actively seeks out younger perspectives to keep learning and stay future-focused. As he argues, longevity will bring big changes with huge potential, but also significant risks, and demographic shifts will reshape the geopolitical landscape in the coming decades. Peter Hinssen is a serial entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker on the topics of radical innovation, leadership and the impact of all things digital on society and business. After studying engineering and computer science, and a brief corporate stint, he became a serial entrepreneur. He then shifted to teaching, writing and public speaking and has written five best-selling business books, including The Phoenix and the Unicorn (2020), The Day After Tomorrow (2017, The Network Always Wins (2014), The New Normal (2010) and Business/IT Fusion (2008). He has lectured widely, including at the London Business School and MIT, and is a contributing writer for Forbes. His current company, nexxworks, helps organisations become fluid, innovate and thrive in the Day After Tomorrow. Some Useful Links: * Peter Hinssen’s Website * Peter Hinssen's ‘Never Normal’ Newsletter * Peter Hinssen’s LinkedIn Profile * Book – The Phoenix and the Unicorn * Book – The Day After Tomorrow * Nexxworks website  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of "4 Quarter Lives," Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Tim Parr, CEO of Caddis, to explore his multifaceted journey from a serial entrepreneur in the action sports industry to revolutionizing how we perceive ageing through his innovative eyewear company focused on the Q3 demographic. Tim shares his insights on midlife reinvention, the importance of authenticity in marketing, and why embracing ageing can be your next great adventure. He talks about his own transitions, the significance of tone and understanding your audience in brand communication, and the potential of the longevity economy. Tim has both founded new companies and worked with some of the most respected brands in the apparel and sporting goods industries, including Patagonia, L.L.Bean, Filson, Kono and others. After founding cycling brand Swobo he developed his ideas and expertise in brand building. He became GM of Patagonia’s WaterGirl surf business, then established his own brand strategy business to help others build relevant customer brand experience. He brought this expertise to the founding of Caddis, a lifestyle brand specifically addressing the needs of people over 40.  And alongside this he has toured his Bluegrass band across the western USA.  He is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Useful Links * Caddis website  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In the first episode of Season 6 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox talks with Martin Frolander, the Founder and Chief Executive of Junoverse, a company with a mission to reimagine the future of seniors through the most comprehensive retirement platform yet built. Their conversation delves into Junoverse's three integrated platforms: Ready, Go, and Connect, each tailored to different stakeholders key to an individual's career and life. * Ready supports employers in managing mid to late career employees aged 50-80. It features assessments, personalized plans, algorithm-based recommendations, and mentoring. * Go assists individuals in retirement, helping them navigate post-work life effectively, with a series of resources and tools * Connect aims to create and enable age-friendly communities, facilitating better integration and interaction among community members of varying ages. Finally, Martin and Avivah discuss why there remains relatively low awareness and urgency among employers regarding the ageing workforce. Martin Frölander is an international citizen with over 20 years of business experience ranging from founder of multiple startups, leadership positions in multinational companies as well as advisor to international Boards and CEOs. He has a track record of building and scaling successful companies in the Wellness/Health Ed and AgeTech industry. Martin is Swedish by birth, but Mozambican at heart.  Useful Links * Junoverse website  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of 4 Quarter Lives, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox summarises key points from the fascinating conversations she has had with a wide range of experts across the Season 5. Her aim this season was to dig deeper into the midlife transition issue, how to prepare people for longer careers, more change and the need for real longlife learning. She started with Richard Alderson of Careershifters and Victoria Tomlinson of NextUp, both of whom have launched businesses helping people with these momentous career moves. Richard described the 6 phases of career shifts that everyone goes through, while Victoria discussed evolving attitudes to late work, and how to better exit big jobs, while avoiding the sudden cliff edge of endings. Avivah’s next guest was London Business School Professor Herminia Ibarra, author of the seminal book Working Identity, which focuses in on the particular challenges of changing careers in midlife. Following that was Helen Tupper, co-CEO of Amazing If, a company that introduced the concept of ‘squiggly careers’, helping corporates to flex their managers’ minds and systems, not least to retain good talent. This objective is also dear to the heart of Pedro Patella, or France’s SANOFI, with whom Avivah discussed their new global Generations Employee network. Another informative guest was Ann Francke, CEO of the UK’s Chartered Management Institute, who focused on the management competencies involved in working with inter-generational workforces and customers.  Also keen to drill down into the issue of how to influence decision-makers in organisations is Michael Clinton, former Head of Publishing of Hearst Magazines, and author of ROAR: Into the Second Half of Your Life. Meanwhile Bradley Schuman is author of The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny, as well as CEO of Human Change. Both brought their deep insights to the podcast. Avivah ended the season with two pioneers in the longevity space. Chip Conley is the Founder of the Modern Elder Academy and his latest book is Learn to Love Midlife. He uses his own life as a radically honest exploration of the new shape of life. Finally, Avivah talked with Professor Andrew Scott, of London Business School, who has just followed up his massively impactful book The 100-Year-Life, with his latest, The Longevity Imperative. This is big-picture thinking, encompassing not just individual change but cultural, social and economic at a global level.  Some Useful Links * The universities around the world running midlife transition programmes * OECD report summaries * Employers Don’t Care if You Have 25 Years Experience – Or 5 * Changing Jobs at Midlife is Good for Your Career – And Your Salary  Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe

In this final episode of Season 5 of 4-Quarter Lives, Avivah talks with Professor Andrew Scott about his new book, The Longevity Imperative, and the profound implications of increased lifespan. Andrew distinguishes between the first and second longevity revolutions, highlighting the shift from surviving childhood to redefining the ageing process itself. He emphasizes the imperative for cultural and societal changes to enable individuals to age better and maximise the potential of their additional healthy years. He provides clarity on life expectancy data, explaining the nuances between period and cohort measures, and underscoring how gains in life expectancy now predominantly occur after the age of 60. And he shines a light on health inequalities that hinder progress in the UK and USA.  The conversation continues by looking at the importance of fostering generational balance and perspectives in the workforce. Andrew advocates for restructuring systems to value mixed-age workforces, stressing the necessity for flexible career structures and confronting ageism. He frames ageing as a continuous process rather than a singular event, critiquing the prevalent dichotomy between ‘young’ and ‘old’. He is optimistic that this generation can pioneer new perspectives on extended life, influencing future generations with a more holistic view of ageing.  Professor Andrew Scott is a world expert on the economics of longevity and on what that entails for ensuring happier, healthier and more productive lives. An award-winning researcher, speaker, author and teacher, he is co-founder of The Longevity Forum, co-author (with Lynda Gratton) of the global bestselling book “The Hundred Year Life” and a professor of economics at London Business School. He is also a consulting scholar at Stanford University’s Center on Longevity.  He was Managing Editor for the Royal Economic Society’s Economic Journal and Non-Executive Director for the UK’s Financial Services Authority 2009-2013. He has been an advisor on policy to a range of governments. He is currently on the advisory board of the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility, the Cabinet Office Honours Committee (Science and Technology), co-founder of The Longevity Forum, a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s International Commission on Health Longevity and the WEF council on Healthy Ageing and Longevity. Previously Andrew held positions at Oxford University, London School of Economics and Harvard University. His MA is from Oxford, his M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and his D.Phil from Oxford. Useful Links: * Andrew Scott’s website * Buy The Longevity Imperative on Amazon UK or Amazon USA * Buy The Hundred Year Life on Amazon UK or Amazon USA * Report (joint author): The Longevity Dividend: The Economics of Healthier, Longer and More Productive Lives  * Article (joint author) in The Journal of the Economics of Ageing: Healthy ageing trends in England between 2002 to 2018: Improving but slow and unequal   Get full access to Elderberries at elderberries.substack.com/subscribe