The concept of full retirement is really a thing of the past.  Let me end the suspense to what this blog is all about.  Blindsided is about planning your retirement.  Nevertheless, the concept of retirement should be viewed through the lenses of the Information Age and not the Age of Industrialization (where its inception can be traced).

One can still keep on going way past the point where one has technically "retired".  My example for today is Meckoy Quioge.  He is on his fourth retirement.  I want to finish this way.

The story below shows us that one can be technically retired three times over and yet far from being 'self-actualized' by way of Maslow's heirarchy of needs.

Here's the write-up (with credits to Adobo Magazine)

BREAKING NEWS: Quiogue heads GroupM Philippines as Managing Partner
 

Less than three months after retiring from GMA Marketing, Manuel P. Quiogue (or Meckoy as he is better known) started on the long road to his fourth retirement. GroupM Philippines announced that beginning today, Quiogue is managing partner of the mother ship of WPP media agencies including MAXUS, MediaCom, Mediaedge:cia and Mindshare.

Initially rumored to be the next managing director of Mindshare, he is now working for GroupM Philippines, as a direct report to CEO Mitos Borromeo.

She says, "I am very happy and honored to announce that Meckoy Quiogue, formerly of GMA 7, has agreed to work with GroupM. Meckoy is on a consultancy contract as Managing Partner, reporting to me. But the more correct term is 'working' with me.

"We will look at opportunities to grow all the businesses of our agencies. We will, of course, work with each of our agency heads to achieve this. Meckoy will be in a GroupM role to allow him the freedom to work with any one of our agencies (Maxus, MEC, Mediacom, Mindshare)."  

Of his latest career move, Quiogue says, "Having dealt with media agencies for the past 16 years, it's interesting to work on this side. And I really need that, something new and something that I hadn't done before. I hope to contribute to the [GroupM] agencies, and maybe even to help change the industry."

Quiogue's long career spans decades in advertising, marketing and most recently media. He is best known for his stints in J. Walter Thompson Manila, Unilever Philippines, Coca-Cola Philippines, ABS-CBN's Studio 23 and GMA Marketing. He is the recipient of the Agora Award in Marketing Management and  the IABC's CEO Excel Award.

He is the latest executive to move between media networks and media agencies in the last six months, but unlike Lizelle Maralag, Cookie Bartolome and others, Quiogue is the only one so far to have made the switch from media to agency.


Blindsided's conclusion and retirement points : Self-Actualization and not financial freedom is the mark of full retirement; Full retirement is a thing of the past; Full retirement is punctuated with life expiration (death); Semi-retirement is the state we need to move closer to.