Revolutionary Retirement

Baby Boomers are reinventing retirement just as they have other aspects of their lives. There are 77 million of them and 10,000 turn 65 each day for the next 20 years. They have longevity projections that will take many of them past 100. They will not retire like their parents or grandparents. They are much more driven to stay relevant, to give back to society, to leave a legacy, and to keep working. Some will have to continue working because they have not saved enough. AARP claims that only 25% of Boomers are prepared financially for retirement and 70% are still supporting their adult children financially in some way. Others are concerned their money will not hold out with increased longevity. Others just want to keep their minds and hearts busy and stay “in charge.”

The new book, Revolutionary Retirement, which hit #1 on Amazon.com the first week out in two categories, addresses the lifestyle changes, the choices Boomers make, the psychological impacts of retirement and the ways Boomers can best plan for this next chapter of life. It is not a book about financial investments, but rather a book about the next chapter of life!

Rita Foley and Jaye Smith will draw on the research to discuss what the audience needs to think about for themselves in planning for their next phase in life.

About Jaye Smith:
Jaye is the resident expert on the topic of navigating careers, with more than 25 years of experience in the field. Jaye is co-author of Venus Unbound, a guide for building balance and self-esteem in women, published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Jaye took a sabbatical after being the president of a consulting firm she cofounded. She recalibrated how she worked and what she offered as a consultant. “People’s reactions to my sabbatical and transition were mixed. Many were supportive, but also fearful of the risk I was taking. Many were envious and thought I had retired. I had to stay focused and believe whatever came out of the time off would be better and it has been.” Today, Jaye designs and facilitates career-focused programs and seminars, creates dynamic Team Building events and provides Executive Coaching for corporations, not-for-profits, universities and individuals. Her clients have included: Citibank, Coach USA, Blackrock and MTV Networks, among others. Jaye was President of the International Association of Career Management Professionals and a fellow at the Career Management Professionals Institute.

Jaye is an honored Adjunct Faculty member at New York University’s Center for Career and Life Planning. She has appeared on radio and TV programs discussing career management issues. Jaye is the coauthor of Venus Unbound, a guide to building a more balanced and integrated life. She is the president of Harlem Dowling Westside Center, a Foster Care and Adoption agency.

About Rita Foley:
Rita is a Corporate Director, retired Fortune 500 Global President, and a committed leader in numerous organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of individuals. She sits on the boards of publicly traded PetSmart and Dress-er-Rand, and The HealthCare Chaplaincy. Rita also leads the board services practice at Crenshaw Associates. She is a former member of the boards of Pro Mujer International, Council of the Americas and Wall AG. Rita was honored by NACD for their Inaugural Not-for-Profit Director of the Year award. These appointments follow her retirement from a very successful business career, which culminated at $6B MeadWest-vaco as Global President of the $1.1B Consumer Packaging Group. Earlier in her career, Rita was EVP, Worldwide Operations for QAD in Santa Barbara, CA, a global enterprise resources (ERP) and supply chain software company. Rita spent 17 years of her career at Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) in Maynard, MA. in various leadership roles. Prior to joining Digital, she spent five years with Harris Lanier. Rita began her career at Polaroid in St. Albans, England.

Educated in the US and abroad, Rita received her Diploma from the University of Geneva in 1974 and a BA with Honors in Psychology from Smith College (Northampton, MA) in 1975. She graduated from INSEAD’S Aims program in 1993, and Stanford’s Executive MBA Program (SEP) in 1995.