“Recoding a Longevity Society”
Age-Inclusive Communities – Global Longevity Narratives – Technology & Ageing Horizons
With his vast knowledge of ageing, longevity, work and career development, Mark Venning researches, writes, curates and commentates on topics regarding the social and business aspects of ageing populations and the changing concepts of a longevity society. Founding Change Rangers in 1996, Mark advances this discourse through his weekly blog, now as of 2026 in its 16th year. Since 2020, he has been an Associate Member of the International Federation on Ageing.
Recoding a longevity society means changing our frames of reference around ageing and embedded social constructs like retirement, and Mark believes that writing a new language offers us a way to reconsider how we finance our longevity, adopt technologies to promote healthy aging, re-model a continuum of care and the design “age-inclusive” communities.
In May 2021, Mark joined the Standards Council of Canada on the mirror committee of the Ageing Societies Standards Committee of the International Organization for Standardization ISO/TC 314 where he is a participating member on the new working group for Smart Multigenerational Neighbourhoods. In 2023 he became a contributor in the development of COURAGE “Action for Better Aging” initiative led by SE Health and the Alberta based Covenant family.
Prior to all this for over twenty years, Mark’s expertise as a facilitator and advisor in the field of career & talent development found him working in both the corporate and not for profit sectors. He designed and delivered courses, sat on numerous advisory panels, and reviewed business plans for start-ups. With a special focus on Entrepreneurship in Later Life, he has advised business professionals leaving corporate careers, to help them as they reinvested their talent by designing a “portfolio” of enterprising activity.
From 2008 to 2023, Mark was Director of Corporate Development to Cognimetrix Inc. a Brain Imaging Research company. From 2012-2019, he was a member on the marketing committee of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. He was Board Chair for the Canadian Education & Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) (2013-2014) and held an industry leadership role (2004-2007), as Global President for the Association of Career Professionals International (ACP International).
For good measure, from 2016 to 2021 Mark sat on the Board of the Oakville Galleries, a contemporary art museum based in Ontario, and since 2020 he is a member of Venice in Peril, a UK based organization that funds the restoration of Venetian monuments, buildings and works of art.