As summer arrives, many of us find ourselves slowing down, if only a little. Whether on vacation, sitting in a garden, or enjoying a quiet evening on the deck, there is often more space to reflect.
Recently, I have been reflecting on one of the greatest gifts of my purposeful third act: deep and meaningful friendships, and a whole new appreciation for the power of girlfriends.
Earlier this month, as I was installed as Chancellor of Trent University in Peterborough, I found myself reflecting on this even more deeply.
As I walked into the auditorium for the ceremony, I felt many emotions: gratitude, excitement, humility, and perhaps a little disbelief. One feeling stood out.
I felt surrounded by love and support. In the front row sat my children and their father, my brother, my partner, and my girlfriends.
This letter is about the power of girlfriends: Shari, Omo, Godyne, and Nimi. All four came into my life during my purposeful third act, reminding me that some of life’s deepest friendships can begin later than we imagine.
They had carved out an entire day to be there. Some rearranged schedules. One came directly from the airport after a six-hour red-eye flight home. Their presence reminded me that this milestone was not mine alone. They had listened through uncertainties, challenged my thinking, and cheered me on as I built my purposeful third act.
Their smiles, enthusiastic thumbs-up, loud applause, and even dancing as the procession left the auditorium to ABBA’s Dancing Queen, a song we have danced to together many times, made the day even more memorable.
As I transitioned into my third act, I came to understand that friendships don’t simply happen. They require intention. You have to nurture them, make time for them, listen to understand rather than judge, and show up authentically.
I expected these friendships to bring companionship and fun. What I didn’t anticipate was how much joy, meaning, and growth they would bring to my life. What emerged were friendships built on trust, laughter, shared values, empathy, and a willingness to challenge one another to grow.
Along the way, I became more aware of my own patterns. I could be overly accommodating, sometimes choosing harmony over honesty. My girlfriends created space for candour, vulnerability, and mutual support. Over time, I became more comfortable expressing what I needed.
I also learned that not every friendship is meant to last. Some became one-sided, others more conditional than reciprocal, and a few simply drained energy. Learning to let go, or create some distance, was not as difficult as I expected. To some, that may sound harsh. To me, it is self-care.
As we live longer lives, friendships become far more than companionship. They become an increasingly important source of connection, joy, resilience, and purpose.
My advice, particularly to younger women, is this: invest in your female friendships. I know life gets busy with careers, partners, children, and countless responsibilities. Yet the time and energy invested in these relationships can pay dividends for decades. As AI accelerates and we navigate a more uncertain and volatile world, these friendships can provide something increasingly valuable: support, perspective, resilience, and joy.
As I reflected on the events at Trent, I felt grateful not only for the opportunity to serve as Chancellor, but also for the women who are walking beside me in my purposeful third act. They have helped me become more fully myself.
I have learned that real girlfriends are one of life’s greatest gifts.
Warmly,
The Purposeful Third Act Movement
The Longevity Conversation is Growing
Getting a sneak peek at Dan Pontefract’s new book, The Future of Work Is Grey, one of the longevity books featured in the article I reference below.
In her Forbes article, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox calls it the “longevity publishing boom”: a cluster of new books exploring longer lives, aging workforces, career transitions, and what comes next.
She highlights five books. I’m delighted to see that two of them are Canadian: one by Dan Pontefract (I had the pleasure of meeting him recently, see photo above!) and another co-authored by Helen Hirsh Spence and Debra Yearwood.
The real story is not any one book. It is the signal. The longevity conversation is moving beyond wellness, anti-aging, and traditional retirement planning toward a broader discussion about people, organizations, work, leadership, and society.
This matters deeply to the Purposeful Third Act movement. Longer lives ask bigger questions than “How do I retire?” or “What do I do next?” They ask:
Who do I want to be in this next act?
Where can my experience, relationships, judgment, and wisdom be most useful?
How do I continue learning and growing?
Many of our institutions, career structures, and cultural assumptions have not yet caught up with longer lives. The conversation is gaining momentum, although more slowly in Canada. Yet contribution still sits at the margins of the longevity conversation.
For many people entering their third acts, contribution is central. The desire to contribute and make a societal impact often grows stronger with age. Let’s continue this discussion and create pathways to strengthen communities and build inclusive prosperity. Learn more about the Purposeful Third Act movement here.
Spotlight: P3A Role Model
Frédérique Tsaï-Klassen on the Real Meaning of Freedom 55
For Frédérique Tsaï-Klassen, Freedom 55 has not meant freedom from work. It has meant freedom to choose work that is meaningful, energizing, and aligned with her values.
That is what makes Frédérique such a compelling addition to the P3A Role Models section of my website.
After more than 30 years in federal politics, diplomacy, and public service, Frédérique retired in 2024 at age 55. She was not looking for a traditional retirement: she was not finished contributing. What she wanted was agency — the freedom to decide where to invest her experience, energy, and values.
Today, Frédérique’s third act is intentionally a portfolio: partner, founder, co-founder, advisor, coach, board member, and public affairs strategist. Across it all, she is continuing to serve, lead, and learn, but with more choice about how and why.
One of Frédérique’s most powerful insights is the idea of a “2x20”: giving yourself two years to figure out the next twenty. That permission to pause, explore, test ideas, and change her mind helped her resist the pressure to immediately jump into another big role.
Her advice is a reminder many of us need: don’t rush. Rest. Daydream. Try things. Your next act does not have to be linear or conventional.
In her full profile, Frédérique shares how she is measuring the ROI of her third act differently: through contribution, continued learning, meaningful challenge, and being of service to others.
We were delighted to have Frédérique join the first session of the two-part Executive Insights series with APEX, the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada. Learn more about the session here.
Explore other P3A Role Models on the website — each offering an example of impact, learning, and joy in action. I hope their journeys spark inspiration for what your third act could become.
Leadership and Work in an AI World: More Human, Not Less
The Human Side of Canada's AI Transition
Shingai Manjengwa (Mila Institute) moderating a conversation with Minister Evan Solomon on Canada’s AI for All strategy at an Ottawa event organized by Senator Katherine Hay.
Canada’s new National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, AI for All, is an important milestone. It is built around six pillars that seek to balance innovation with responsibility: protecting Canadians, building AI skills, accelerating adoption, developing Canada’s sovereign AI capacity, scaling Canadian companies, and advancing trusted global partnerships. You can learn more about the strategy and six pillars here.
My focus, naturally, is on the workforce implications — both the opportunities and the risks.
We must keep the millions of Canadians already in the workforce clearly in view. For them, AI is not a future issue. It is already changing the way work gets done.
Across industries and occupations, people are asking:
How will my role change?
What new skills will I need?
What work will humans continue to do best?
How can I continue to do meaningful work and build a successful career?
The strategy places emphasis on new job creation. However, discussion of the impact on existing jobs is more limited. Jobs are already being redesigned, and that transformation will continue. Jobs will also be lost. Both trends will require building new skills at scale.
While we cannot predict these outcomes with certainty, informed scenario planning would help us better understand these shifts and provide a foundation for a comprehensive workforce and skills strategy. This will require co-creating strategies and solutions across businesses, governments, educators, labour unions, the not-for-profit sector, and workers.
I believe Chief Human Resources Officers can play an elevated role both within their organizations and in the broader economy by leading workforce adaptation inside their organizations while also helping shape scalable solutions beyond them. Some CHROs are already leading in this space. See my earlier profile of Mary Alice Vuicic.
CHROs understand how people actually experience change inside organizations: where people are worried, where they are curious, and where they need support. They know that culture is not changed by technology alone.
They can help ensure AI adoption strengthens confidence, agency, and people’s ability to continue learning, contributing, and adapting.
I also encourage greater transparency about potential workforce scenarios and active employee engagement in preparing for them.
Organizations should work with employees to build a partnership mindset toward reskilling and upskilling, while providing access to learning and development opportunities.
Organizations leading in AI adoption often argue that success is 25% technology and 75% people. Realizing AI’s value depends on leadership, work redesign, change management, workforce readiness, and developing new capabilities.
The opportunity is to make AI adoption something we do with people, not to people. More human, not less.
What would it look like for CHROs to help lead the human side of Canada’s AI transition?
For a concise overview, I recommend the Public Policy Forum’s article, “Breaking Down Canada’s New AI Strategy.” For transparency, I serve on the PPF Board of Directors.
Builders of Inclusive Prosperity
Junior Achievement: Building Capability, Confidence, and Connection for the Next Generation
As the world of work changes, many of us are asking how we can help young people build the human capabilities, confidence, and relationships they need to thrive. Junior Achievement is one organization doing exactly that. I am proud to serve on the Board of Governors of JA Worldwide.
Junior Achievement Canada’s Alumni Achievers Event brought together 40 alumni from across the country in Toronto to learn from one another, engage with experts, build relationships, and imagine possibilities for their futures.
It was energizing to join the panel Elevating Human Capabilities in a World of AI, alongside Alysse Anderson, Benoit Hardy-Vallée, Farwa Kazmi, and Maggi Xu. Thank you to Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, for making a surprise visit and sharing his perspectives on AI and entrepreneurship with the group.
That evening, the group joined the Canadian Business Hall of Fame (CBHF) Induction Gala, creating opportunities for reciprocal learning, meaningful connections, and some fun. The JA alumni speaker, Maya Bezubiak, was remarkable and a powerful example of the impact these programs can have. There was also a lot of excitement about the sneak peek of the Alumni Awards coming at the 2027 CBHF Gala, which I am honoured to support.
These conversations reinforced the importance of reskilling and upskilling as AI reshapes work. In addition to AI fluency, elevating human capabilities will be paramount: helping young people navigate ambiguity, build empathy, exercise good judgment, collaborate effectively, and continue learning throughout their lives.
These capabilities are built through experience — solving real problems, engaging with established and emerging leaders, cultivating mentors, and being in rooms that broaden their sense of what is possible. This is where Junior Achievement’s work matters. It gives young people practical opportunities to explore career pathways, develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets, and, importantly, build the confidence that allows them to expand their ambitions.
And it was a perfect purposeful third act day for me: impact, learning, and JOY.
