Source | LinkedIn | Martine Ferland | President & Chief Executive Officer at Mercer Vice Chair at Marsh & McLennan
The 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos is winding down but earlier today I had the opportunity to participate in a unique Mercer WEF event focused on longevity called, “Redesigning Retirement for Longer Working Lives.”
Let’s be clear. Longevity is one aspect of a brighter future for the world’s workforce, so long as organizations and leadership gets it right. It calls for a change of mindset, adapted healthcare and savings programs, more opportunities for continuous learning and, of course, longer careers. It’s a chance for employers and experienced workers to embrace upskilling, reskilling and continuously adapting.
Today’s event was a novel workshop, very hands-on, with attendees discussing persona-specific solutions that will result in a post-Davos package of materials called, “Redesigning Later Life.” It will include today’s findings and provide a plan for testing and developing the solutions, and calls to action to enable them.
There’s no doubt that longevity is a serious social issue. Life expectancies are increasing globally, and children born today are likely to live beyond the age of 100. That’s 10 years longer than my parent’s generation, and nearly 20 years longer than my grandparent’s generation. It’s good that we’re having conversations about longevity at events like the WEF and back in our organizations, think tanks and policy offices, and even with our families. If you’re not planning for this kind of change – what it means, the different thinking and choices it requires, then you might be left behind.
