Helen Hirsh Spence | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Current position (1)

CEO

Top Sixty Over Sixty

Achievements (4)

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Community Service Award

This award is Issued by a Member of Parliament for outstanding service in the community.

CANIE Semifinalist, Award for Leadership & Innovation

This is given by the Innovation and Entrepreneurs Foundation for the Seniorpreneur category

Diversity 50 Winner

Issued by Canadian Board Diversity Council ·
Selected by the Canadian Board Diversity Council as a diverse, qualified candidate for corporate board of director appointments.

Honorary Life Membership

Issued by Ontario Principals' Council ·
For outstanding contributions to the founding of and commitment to the Ontario Principals' Council as well as to public education in Ontario

Degrees (1)

M Ed

University of Ottawa

1986 to 1988

Bio

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Longevity Expert

Helen is the founder of “Top Sixty Over Sixty,” a trailblazing initiative aimed at transforming the narrative of ageing from negative to positive. Fearlessly tackling the challenges facing older adults, she champions age diversity, longevity literacy, and educates about ageism. At age 75, Helen proudly role models what it means to age in the 21st century in the face of North America’s youth-centric culture.

As an accomplished facilitator and motivational speaker, Helen is a strong performer in multicultural environments with the ability to gain trust and build rapport quickly among those with diverse backgrounds, interests, and life circumstances. Helen conveys a natural enthusiasm for learning and a gift for motivating both colleagues and audiences. She is fluent in French, German and Spanish.

Helen Hirsh Spence’s five-decade career began in Munich in the early 70s, where she embarked on her teaching journey and gradually assumed increasingly senior leadership positions in the Canadian public and private education sectors.

As a founding member of the prestigious Ontario Principals’ Council, Helen became the fifth President, responsible for 5000 public school leaders. A Headship at an all-girls’ school in Ottawa was followed by a decade devoted to global, not-for-profit endeavours. In her late sixties, she shifted gears to reinvent herself as a social entrepreneur.

Recognized as a prominent figure in the field of longevity, Helen has been invited to share her insights at conferences, on podcasts, national radio and TV, and in various publications. Her 2024 TEDx talk garnered over 100,000 views in its first month. In life and in her book which is now being edited, Helen seizes every opportunity to promote an empowering perspective on aging, inspiring change for all generations. Her mindset is always “longevity” focused.

100 word bio

Following a 30-year career as an educational leader and a decade devoted to global, non-profit endeavours, Helen shifted gears in her late sixties to reinvent herself as a social entrepreneur.

She founded Top Sixty Over Sixty, a niche, “longevity” consultancy, after she witnessed how ageism was impacting her generation, and how the upcoming demographic shift would affect North America's social and economic fabric.

A well-respected and sought-after thought leader, Helen has appeared in several major national media outlets, on television, podcasts, and radio. She believes the way forward calls for intergenerational collaboration and age equity. Her mindset is longevity focused!

Bio (50 words)

Harnessing the strengths, power and value of older adults and determined to reframe the narrative of aging, Helen Hirsh Spence founded Top Sixty Over Sixty, in her late sixties. As a recognized thought leader with a ‘longevity mindset’, Helen reminds people to never limit themselves because of age. Learn more at topsixtyoversixty

Presentations

Presentations (6)

Confronting a New Demographic Reality

Canada (and the world) is undergoing a seismic shift: fertility rates are rapidly declining, and our population is ageing at unprecedented rates. By the mid-2030s, one out of four persons will be 65.

In this talk, we will unravel some of the complexities of our ageing world and discover how we can turn this demographic challenge into an opportunity for innovation, growth, and a reimagined future for all generations.

Longevity Literacy is a 21st-century MUST-HAVE

Longevity, or living longer, means we need to design a whole new map of life, yet most of us are stuck in the 20th-century paradigm where life supposedly tapers off at the retirement age of 65.

We will explore how traditional milestones are changing and how to maximize the potential of all employees.

This can be a talk for businesses and for personal/leadership growth. It is customizable.

Age Bias: In ourselves, others, policies, and institutions

This wake-up call presentation identifies what ageism looks, sounds, and feels like. Helen’s talk debunks common myths about ageing and leaves audiences aware and uplifted.

This can be a talk for businesses and for personal/leadership growth. It is customizab

Age is a Strategic Imperative

Populations are becoming older. Fertility rates are declining. How will organizations fill their talent pipelines if they don’t acknowledge and take advantage of what older adults have to offer?

Intergenerational Power

Segregation based on age permeates our society and workplaces and undermines our work communities and our productivity. Break down age silos, adjust attitudes, and spot opportunities to build better organizational cultures.

The Future Of Work Includes Older Work

Multigenerational workforces are the new norm. "Ageing Out" will no longer be the employee path for strategic businesses.

From technology to experience, Helen addresses the reasons that our ageing workforce won’t disappear with Boomers.

Past talks (1)

Age Forward: The Future is Multigenerational

GamePlanHR

Online Presentation

December 6, 2024

All (3)
Videos
Photos
Slides (1)
One sheet (1)
Press information (1)

This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.

This speaker hasn't uploaded any photos yet.

SharonZehavi from The Fire Within interviews Helen Hirsh Spence

Speaker Sheet for Helen Hirsh Spence

The Current for April 29, 2022 | CBC Radio

Books & Articles (5)

The Gifts of Pain

PositiveMOM.com,

2024

As Canada's demographics shift, it's time to embrace 'Age Liberation'

Labour shortage? The answer is to bring older adults back into the workforce

How Ottawa's employers can harness the power of a talented -and often overlooked-labour pool

Older adults could be our ticket to prosperity

Expertise (10)

Education

Leadership

Media & Marketing

Clients

ADVOCIS (Financial Advisors Association of Canada)

Institute of Advanced Financial Planners

Bank of Montreal, U.S

Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

CanAge (National Seniors Advocacy Organization)

Cannexus (Canada’s Career Development Conference)

Conference Board of Canada

Dove

CABHI (Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation

Human Resource Council, Government of Canada

United Nations

International Women’s Forum

WomanACT (Women’s Abuse Center of Toronto)

HRPA competencies

Core Competencies (Primary)

Workforce Planning & Talent Management

Core Competencies (Secondary)

Learning & Development

Organizational Effectiveness

Strategy

Enabling Competencies

Relationship Management

Strategic and Organizational Leadership

Emotional Intelligence

Critical Thinking Analysis

Reviews

Testimonials (1)

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting Helen as our guest speaker for our HR Connection Network, a cohort of HR professionals who share ideas and learn from key influencers. Helen was an engaging speaker, sparking much discussion around diverse hiring practices and misconceptions of the "older" generations. She highlighted the advantages of a multigenerational workforce, particularly the positive financial impacts! If you are seeking an amazing speaker that produces the "lightbulb moment", Helen is the one!
Dawn Calow
Verified

Why choose me?

A Trailblazer Redefining Aging in the 21st Century

Affiliations

HRPA