World Senior Citizens Day: Shabana Azmi, Columbia Pacific Communities Urge Corporates to Hire Seniors as Chief Experience Officers

Columbia Pacific Communities (CPC), India's largest operator of senior living communities, honours the spirit of World Senior Citizens Day, celebrated on August 21 every year, by launching an inspiring campaign titled #ChiefExperienceOfficer. This unique campaign is built around the key idea that today's seniors are breaking age and career-related stereotypes, and that even after retirement, they have a strong desire to work and contribute which can be leveraged by enterprises in today’s era of start-ups fueled by young entrepreneurs.

The campaign #ChiefExperienceOfficer, featuring a series of social media posts and a personal message from prominent actor Shabana Azmi, aims to address the underlying ageism that pervades our society, especially on the career front. CPC challenges the conventional notion that views retirement as ‘the end of the road’ and sees it as a fresh start filled with thrilling new challenges and innumerable new adventures. This campaign motivates companies and startups to employ seniors in appropriate roles and leverage the goldmine of experience that seniors come with. Additionally, this will also help corporates be more age-inclusive and diverse.

Speaking on the initiative, five-time National award-winning actor Shabana Azmi said, “I'm thrilled to support Columbia Pacific Communities, one of India's largest and most preferred providers of senior living communities, in their #ChiefExperienceOfficer initiative. They are pushing corporations and start-ups to employ senior citizens in relevant capacities and take advantage of the vast experience they have through this excellent project. Why should we retire at the age of 60 when the majority of us are still eager to take on challenging jobs? I am doing some of my most exciting work in my 70s. Experienced seniors bring wisdom, courage, and refinement to the table, all significant assets for businesses and enterprises.”

Speaking about the campaign, Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said, “We want seniors across the country to actively embrace the #ChiefExperienceOfficer campaign as it emphasises that age is just a number and that the golden years are the perfect time to uncover untapped abilities. Shabana Azmi, one of India's most acclaimed actresses, is the ideal emblem of our brand mantra of positive ageing. At 71, she thinks her best work is yet to come and is currently filming her first international sci-fi TV series. And that's precisely the kind of message we want to send out to our seniors this World Senior Citizens Day.”

The #ChiefExperienceOfficer initiative will be hosted on a microsite on the CPC website. To start with, the microsite will feature a few highly accomplished residents of Columbia Pacific Communities, who are looking for a new role post retirement. From Mechanical and Civil Engineers, to leaders of the organising committee of Ranji Trophy, interior designers and educationists, interested companies can hire some exceptional talent.

This campaign is consistent with the brand's mission to help seniors get a voice, nurture their passions and help them age positively.