Working on Purpose: Debbie Marshall’s Career of Reinvention, Growth and Contribution

Across decades, Debbie Marshall has built and rebuilt by trusting her instincts, leveraging her network and putting authenticity at the centre of commercial work. Now approaching her mid sixties, she pioneers new ways of working, shaping the Silver Marketing Association while designing a future that balances contribution, wellbeing and purpose.

Reinvention as a Career Signature

Debbie Marshall has never been afraid to move. Almost by instinct, each decade of her career has brought a turning point. At 40 she left a corporate board role to try something new. At 50 she took the leap to start her own business. At 60 she reinvented again, this time to convene and advocate for an entire sector.

The thread that runs through is not disruption but rhythm, knowing when to move, using networks wisely and staying true to a belief that business should be principled.

From Corporate Leader to Entrepreneurial Risk-Taker

In her late thirties, Debbie was Managing Director of Crystal Holidays, leading a range of ski, short breaks and mountain products. The company was acquired by Thomson, later part of TUI, and with that came the shift from entrepreneurial freedom to corporate structure. For some, it was a welcome step. For Debbie, it was limiting.

“I knew soon after the acquisition that the corporate world wasn’t for me and decided to quit, which was a surprise to some people, but it felt like the right decision.”

She worked out her notice, then paused to consider her options. Travel was in her DNA, but she knew she needed a different environment. A private equity role soon followed, working with industry leader John Boyle. Together they bought and sold business travel, launched Zoom Airlines, and acquired CV Travel, a luxury villa specialist that Debbie went on to run for seven years.

Once again, acquisition by Kuoni, another large corporate, coincided with her next decade. By 50, she felt the familiar stir of something changing. “I remember speaking to the CEO and saying, ‘I’m still ambitious, what comes next?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know.’ It was honest, but it was also the nudge I needed.”

The 50s Lightbulb: Creating Silver Travel Advisor

The nudge became a lightbulb moment on New Year’s Eve, 2009. Sitting at her father’s golf club dinner, Debbie listened to a table of retirees animatedly swapping travel plans: cruises, long-haul adventures, road trips. The wealth and appetite were clear, yet trusted travel reviews written by their peers specifically for their generation were non-existent.

At the time, TripAdvisor was gaining momentum, and digital technology was still in its early years. Debbie realised she would be creating something entirely new, with no template to copy.

In late 2010, she had left her role and launched Silver Travel Advisor in 2011, an online review and community site “by older travellers, for older travellers.” It was genuinely pioneering, a business built from scratch in an emerging digital space.

It was not simple. She raised a modest six-figure sum by asking multiple contacts for small investments. She recruited a web developer who agreed to initially work unpaid. “I paid him before I paid myself. He stayed with the business for many years.” And she persuaded a company in her network to become the first paying brand to join, creating momentum.

“I knew that if I could get just one reputable brand on the site, others would follow. That first ‘yes’ was everything.”

Networks that Powered a Movement

Silver Travel Advisor grew steadily, breaking even by year three and turning a profit by year four. By 2020 it had over 120,000 subscribers, multiple revenue streams, and extensions into print, radio, social and live roadshows. Trust was its hallmark.

Her network, built over decades, kept opening doors. One lunch Debbie almost skipped led to meeting the CEO of Age UK, who offered free office space in exchange for travel services for their community. “That was the moment we professionalised, suddenly we had desks, IT, a proper team environment. It changed the whole way we worked.”

Turning 60: Building with Purpose and Impact

By 2020, Silver Travel Advisor had just recorded its best year. Then the pandemic hit. Like so many, Debbie’s business changed. A year in, she had an offer to buy her business.

The buyer, Lisa McAuley, a high-profile senior travel executive, then in midlife herself, was ready to create her own business after years in corporate roles. For Debbie, it was both the right moment personally and a chance to pass the baton. “I knew rebuilding would take huge commitment. When Lisa came along, it aligned with my own instincts. She’s taken the business into new areas and I’m proud to see it thriving.”

That left Debbie ready for a new chapter. Soon after, she was approached by Accord Marketing, who owned the Mature Marketing Association. Together with three peers, all in their fifties and sixties, she relaunched it as the Silver Marketing Association in 2021.

The ethos was different. “At 50 I wanted to build and grow at scale. At 60 I want to do good. Of course we need to be a successful business, but principles and authenticity guide us now.”

Silver Marketing Association: Championing Change with Conviction

Four years on, the Association has over 180 members across a wide range of industry sectors. It is driven by three core values:

· Inform: sharing insight, research and white papers.

· Connect: running networking events and introducing members across industries.

· Advocate: promoting high standards, authentic practice and age-inclusive representation.

From its annual Summit to its Awards programme, the Association is a growing voice for the over-50s market and the professionals who serve it.

“We want to be a clarion call for respecting older consumers and creating authentic, thoughtful marketing that truly values them.”

And today: Choosing A Purposeful Portfolio

Debbie is leading the Silver Marketing Association, and has had two non-executive director roles in the travel industry, along with chairing Dementia Adventure, and volunteering at a bakery for young adults with learning disabilities. She also makes time for skiing, mountain walking and Pilates.

What is shifting though are her values and priorities. After decades of a demanding career, her mid-sixties have become a time to pause and take stock. Balance and wellness now sit alongside professional contribution. She is consciously planning her next stage as a steady and measured transition.

Phased retirement appeals to her, not as an ending but as a progression into a portfolio life, blending paid and voluntary roles. “Hard stop? Absolutely not. Maybe when I am 70, instinct will tell me again. Until then, I am very much enjoying this next phase and for the first time, I feel I have a work-life balance.”

Debbie’s Compass: Bold Advice for Business Growth

· Invest in your network before you need it. One conversation can transform your path.

· Be realistic about capital. Underfunding kills start-ups; aim for a runway that gives breathing space.

· Secure a first paying customer early. Credibility builds momentum.

· Choose partners you trust. Skill and integrity beat speed.

· Let values guide your work. In her 50’s she built with ambition to scale; in her 60’s she builds with authenticity.

Editor’s Reflection

Debbie Marshall’s story is a reminder that reinvention does not stop at midlife. It follows a steady pattern that strengthens over time. Each decade she has trusted her instincts, leveraged her network and shaped businesses that matter. From launching an early digital travel community to convening a cross-sector marketing body, her path shows that seasoned professionals build with resilience, energy and values.

For employers and founders alike, the lesson is clear. Experience is not static. When people are supported to recalibrate, they do not just extend their careers, they compound their impact.

You can connect with Debbie on LinkedIn or visit Silver Marketing Association.