Unlocking human
potential and building inclusive prosperity

Welcome to my Purposeful Third Act, a movement to disrupt retirement.

Zabeen Hirji walking across a city crosswalk with tall brick and modern skyscrapers in the background.

After a rewarding and all-consuming career at RBC (my second act), which culminated in 10 years as Chief Human Resources Officer, I wasn’t ready to retire in the conventional sense. I still wanted to contribute to unlocking human potential and building an inclusive and prosperous Canada. I set off on my own Purposeful Third Act (P3A) by designing a portfolio of pursuits intended to make social and economic impact. I’m learning every day, finding joy in the journey, prioritizing wellbeing, and sharing my discoveries and insights along the way.

Find out about my P3A

Why helping people unlock their potential matters to me.

Three women engaged in conversation at an indoor event. One woman is wearing a pink dress with a pearl necklace, and another woman has her hair tied back in a bun with a beige blazer. The third woman is in a black outfit with a patterned headscarf, holding a smartphone.

I believe that every person has inherent capabilities and talents that, when unlocked, lead to meaningful outcomes for both individuals and the broader community, creating a sustainable path to inclusive prosperity. Making this happen requires both personal actions and the collaborative actions of business, government, labour, educators, not-for-profits, and individuals. Spending half my second act as a human resources leader showed me that cultivating and enabling individual achievement and excellence leads to societal impact and economic growth.

Read my story