Switching Off, Switching Over: Rupert Neville’s Journey to a Purposeful Path After Retirement 

After three decades at the heart of British banking, and prior to those 12 years in the Army, Rupert believed he understood retirement. Yet within months of leaving the corporate world, he discovered it was not simply a matter of stopping but of redefining what work, purpose, and contribution meant to him.

A Considered Departure

Rupert’s career was built on discipline, precision, and responsibility. Rising through the ranks of banking and wealth management, he held senior roles leading large teams and navigating complex mergers. But by his mid-50s, he began to sense the work no longer aligned with what he valued most.

“I had been on the 7:03 train into London for decades,” he recalls. “Managing people, playing politics, attending functions and it began to feel I had reached a plateau. I realised I had had enough of that world, and it was time to move on.”

At 58, he made the decision to step away and engineer his own retirement. It seemed the natural conclusion to a long and successful career.

“Retirement, in my generation, was seen as an on/off switch,” he reflects. “One day you worked, the next you did not. So I switched work, as I knew it, off.”

The Retirement Honeymoon

At first, the change was welcome. Spring and summer unfolded at a gentle pace. But by winter, unease set in and those closest to him began to ask, quite reasonably: what now?

In hindsight, Rupert acknowledges he underestimated how sudden retirement would feel. “I left too quickly, without sufficient reflection. Financially, I was well-prepared but emotionally, I was not.”. “It was like suddenly going from the adrenalin of driving at 101 miles an hour to suddenly stitching to a very sedate pace, without the necessary cooling off period.”

He had also overlooked the effect his decision would have on others. Especially, his wife Julia, building her own business, was not expecting him to be at home during the day.

“I thought I wanted to stop working entirely,” he says now. “In reality, I simply no longer wanted to work in the same way.”

Rupert began to recognise that the structure and purpose work provided were not easily replaced nor was the satisfaction of applying his experience and intellect to help others.

A New Balance

Rather than return to the intensity of his former life, Rupert sought a different path, one that blended his desire to contribute with a pace of life that suited him better.

Rupert leaned into his network to find the right kind of post-retirement work and drew from his well-established reputation to explore different work options.

He also noted that his presence at Rathbones prompted conversations among colleagues about how they too could step down gracefully without losing purpose, which shows his informal influence and mentoring through networks. The question being asked by others, was how can you gradually step back from a senior and influential position? Far too often, unless HR and senior management are in tune with their senior staff and leaders, the workplace appears to only offer binary options – “on or off”.

“My network didn’t just open doors. It reminded me what I was good at, how I could still be of use and an inspiration and guide to others.”

He also spoke about being proactive and personal in his approach in business. His skill set was being able to reach out directly to individuals, building rapport, and solving problems one-to-one. That philosophy seems to have been key to how he approached his own job search as well.

Working in Unretirement

Most recently, he worked on as a Project Manager on an 18 month fixed term contract at Rathbones, a Financial Services company, undergoing a merger , assisting investment managers, financial planners and their teams. It is a role that made full use of his experience and judgment yet spared him the involvement with corporate politics.

He is currently considering his next move, and his un-retirement strategy.

Beyond paid work, he serves as a secondary school governor, facilitator at financial services conferences and a trustee of a military charity. He maintains his health with cycling, skiing, strength training, and walking the dog. He reflects that as part of this redefining, he is always setting himself new challenges and goals and is probably now fitter than at any time since leaving the army.

“This portfolio of roles gives me a sense of purpose and importantly allows structure to the day,” he explains. “It is not philanthropy in the usual sense it is simply what I find meaningful.”

Editor's Reflections

Rupert’s story is a powerful reminder that retirement isn’t a single, tidy moment but a process. Research shows the so-called retirement honeymoon often lasts three to eighteen months. At first, the novelty of free time feels like a holiday, a reward for decades of hard work. But as the months pass, many retirees feel a shift, questioning how to spend their days with purpose. Rupert experienced exactly that: a joyful summer followed by a winter of restlessness that prompted deep reflection.

By sharing his experience so openly, he helps others see that this transition is normal, and that it’s never too late to reimagine what comes next.

His story also holds an important message for employers: there is a wealth of talent, knowledge and experience in the over-50 workforce, and many are eager to keep contributing. What they need are flexible, meaningful opportunities that recognise what they have to offer, not outdated assumptions about what they want.

Retirement doesn’t have to mean switching off. As Rupert shows, it can mean switching over: to a working life defined on your own terms, and to a contribution that still matters.

Connect with Rupert on LinkedIn.

Work With Us. The Talent You Need is Closer Than You Think

We tell the real stories that demonstrate over-50s still have so much to give. Rupert’s story proves what many overlook: experienced professionals over 50 still have so much to contribute. They bring perspective, expertise and problem-solving skills that employers need, and many are actively looking for flexible, meaningful ways to keep working.

At 55/Redefined, we make it easy for you to connect with this untapped talent. Our dedicated jobs board and candidate community are designed to help you find experienced, work-ready professionals who want to unretire and make a difference in your organisation.

Get in touch with our Consultants to start posting your roles and discover the potential already waiting in the over-50s workforce.

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If you’re rethinking your next move, this is the inspiration you need to redefine your career with confidence. Job seekers can find age friendly roles at Jobs/Redefined.

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