Your Purposeful Third Act with Guest Zabeen Hirji

What does life after a high-powered corporate career actually look like — and how do you make sure it's meaningful? In this episode, Naomi sits down with Zabeen Hirji, former Chief Human Resources Officer at Royal Bank of Canada and founder of the Purposeful Third Act (P3A) movement. Zabeen opens up about the surprising joys, the identity challenges, and the deliberate choices that have defined her life since leaving the C-suite. From letting go of status symbols to turning down prestigious board seats, this conversation is a candid and inspiring guide for anyone approaching — or already in — their own third act. **In This Episode, You'll Hear About:** - What genuinely surprised Zabeen about life after retirement (hint: it's more energizing than she ever expected) - The concept of the Purposeful Third Act (P3A) — and why Zabeen calls it a *rediscovery*, not a reinvention - The "Table 89" moment — a LinkedIn post that resonated widely, about what it felt like to go from sitting at table #1 at charity galas as an RBC executive to sitting in the back of the room — and why she came to cherish it - How Zabeen built her personal purpose using vision boards, a strategy facilitator, and an identity transition coach — and why she turned down a highly prestigious board seat because it didn't align - The role her anchor role at Deloitte has played in her third act — and how it unexpectedly evolved from a bridge into something lasting - Navigating dual identity shifts at once: retiring from a major corporate role and a personal life transition at the same time - Why she treats her third act like an investment portfolio: setting annual goals, conducting personal performance reviews, and pruning commitments regularly - The importance of relationships and pro bono work — and how spending half her time on unpaid, purpose-aligned work has shaped her impact - What organizations and HR leaders need to do differently to better engage and retain older, experienced workers— including the mindset shift that has to come first - Why the "learn, earn, retire" model is outdated, and what intergenerational teams, flexible work, and reverse mentoring could look like in practice - A shoutout to Dan Pontefract's book *The Future of Work is Gray* (also a recent Foresight guest!) and his "rivers, rocks, and rubies" reframe of generational identity **Key Quotes** "It is much more energizing than I ever expected." "I see it as a rediscovery, not a reinvention." "I started to look forward to Table 89 — and realized how much I was elevating the people I was sitting with." "You have to be able to advise, and then move on." "Even with Purposeful Third Act, if you're open to one day a week, you can have huge impact." **About Zabeen Hirji** Zabeen Hirji is a founder, retirement disruptor, executive advisor, and board director. She served as CHRO at Royal Bank of Canada and is now the driving force behind the Purposeful Third Act movement, which helps senior leaders navigate life and work after corporate careers with intention and impact. - 🔗 LinkedIn: Zabeen Hirji *(follow + subscribe to her newsletter)* - 🌐 Website: zabeenhirji.com *(resources, role models, and P3A tools)* If you are looking for more foHRsight, sign up for our monthly foHRsight newsletter. It’s free and includes access to our quarterly white paper. This quarter’s white paper is about Rethinking Entry-Level work in the Age of AI, produced with Dr. Miranda Rodak from Indiana University’s Kelley school of business - an important topic for HR, Leadership and parents, students and society as a whole! https://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe Support the show