Journalist Javier Sardà and former footballer and coach Jorge Valdano have engaged in a conversation about motivation, personal growth, and change in maturity, during an event organised by CaixaBank that gathered over 300 people in the capital of Tenerife.
The discussion, titled Never Too Late to Improve, is part of a series of talks that the organisation has launched to address the issues most concerning the senior community with the help of prominent figures from cultural, social, and sporting backgrounds. The event was inaugurated by Manuel Afonso, the territorial director of CaixaBank in the Canary Islands, who highlighted that this initiative “reaffirms the entity’s commitment to supporting individuals at every stage of their lives, providing tailored solutions that allow them to enjoy the present and plan for the future.”
The journalist Javier Sardà welcomed the audience, stating that maturity “is not a withdrawal; it is a new beginning; a stage for focusing on life with the aim of personal growth.” To elaborate on this point, he affirmed, “we are joined by a man who is a reference in sports, who has left an indelible mark on this island, who has been a footballer, coach, sporting director, analyst, writer, and speaker, and who has never stopped training his mind.”
Jorge Valdano shared with the audience some of the stories that have marked him throughout his career and described how his understanding of success has changed over the years, stating that this more reflective and slower stage is an opportunity to think differently: “What matters is not achieving success; what matters is being happy. And that relates to sociability, surrounding oneself with different people, a touch of charm, discipline, and activating the mind.”
Valdano also provided some advice on staying motivated in maturity and building new goals, “by finding a passion, an inspiring means of living. In each life stage, we have different aspirations, but it is crucial to discover passions as soon as possible because staying close to your passion activates you,” he pointed out.
Towards the end of the meeting, former player and president of Club Deportivo Tenerife, Felipe Miñambres, joined the dialogue, praising his coach during one of the most brilliant periods of the team: “I was fortunate to spend two years listening to him and learning from him. For me, it was a great joy and a great fortune to meet him along my journey, both personally and professionally.” Miñambres expressed his gratitude for this new phase at the club, beyond his responsibilities as president, because “since I arrived here, the first thing I see in people is a smile because I bring them good memories, and that’s something priceless. All I want is to try to return the joy to people and ensure there is a generation that awakens memories and makes us all happy.”
The Generación + Talks are part of the Generación + initiative, a new value proposition that CaixaBank has launched for the senior segment, offering a comprehensive range of products and solutions aimed at addressing the challenges posed by the increasing longevity of the population from a financial service perspective.
The entity thus reinforces its purpose of accompanying clients throughout their lives and promotes the creation of an innovative product package that provides planning and support for retirement, as well as improvements in quality of life during the ageing process, relating to both leisure and educational activities as well as care services.
Demographic trends underline the relevance of a value proposition like Generación +. Currently, there are over 12 million people in Spain aged 60 or older. By 2030, this group is estimated to constitute 23% of the population and account for 39% of the country’s net wealth. Moreover, it is a demographic with a higher education level than previous generations, a greater life expectancy, more awareness of living well, and a need for solutions throughout all stages of retirement.
Generación + emerges as a comprehensive response to this scenario. As the leading financial entity in Spain and a reference point for the segment, with over 4 million clients aged over 65 across the country, CaixaBank has evolved and completely redesigned its value proposition for this client profile. In addition to the commitment to a priority and preferred service model launched in 2022, a new range of products has now been introduced to meet the needs and ambitions of a new generation of clients.
