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Emergence

A retreat for seasoned leaders sensing their most defining chapter is just beginning.

Imagine

A new chapter arriving—
shaped by experience, stirred by the promise of ongoing vitality, brimming with possibility.

You feel it as a quiet momentum.
 A fresh kind of creativity.
 A deeper sense of purpose.

The pace is different now—
more spacious, more intentional.


And what emerges feels unmistakably your own.

From this stillness, a question begins to take shape:


What do I want to create next?

This five-day retreat invites you into a space where your next creative edge stirs to life, energy deepens, and an exhilarating new chapter begins to unfold.

How leadership evolves when you allow midlife to reshape you.

  • Cut through the noise.

    Let go of mental clutter to focus on what truly matters.

    Make high-stakes decisions with speed and conviction—without second-guessing.

  • Lead with energy, not over-effort.

    Drop outgrown leadership habits like over-control or perfectionism that quietly diminish impact.

    Reclaim energy—and empower others to rise without bottlenecks or burnout.

  • See what others can’t.

    Access long-horizon thinking, vision, and curiosity.

    See opportunities others miss—and reshape the future of your business and life with renewed creativity.

  • Become the calm in the chaos.

    Develop a more grounded, composed leadership presence—less reactive, more attuned.

    Create trust, clarity, and high performance—especially in uncertainty.

  • Move forward without losing yourself.

    Develop a deeper alignment between values, choices, and direction.

    Lead with integrity—and make bold moves without betraying who you’ve become.

The Emergence Manifesto.

Aneace and Fabrice—Your Guides for the Journey Ahead.

  • Aneace Haddad

    Executive coach, former tech CEO, author of The Eagle That Drank Hummingbird Nectar and Soaring Beyond Midlife.

    Aneace spent the first half of his career building a global payments software company in the south of France, serving banks in over 30 countries.

    After selling the business in his late 40s, he discovered he liked people more than computers, and began a different kind of leadership journey—one rooted less in scale and speed, and more in presence, clarity, and what endures.

    Today, he works with senior executives and C-suite teams navigating their own pivotal transitions, helping them unlock a quieter, more powerful form of leadership.

    His approach blends strategic depth with a deeply personal understanding of what it means to begin again, late in life—with wisdom.

  • Fabrice Desmarescaux (Guest Facilitator)

    McKinsey partner, author of The Art of Retreats, and leadership guide.

    Fabrice brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of global leadership and inner transformation.

    He has guided CEOs, boards, and senior teams across sectors, while also immersing himself in meditation, somatic practices, and archetypal psychology.

    His retreats are known for their rare blend of structure and spaciousness—inviting leaders to reconnect with what’s essential, shed what no longer fits, and lead from a deeper, more integrated place.

    Fabrice’s presence offers a unique mix of gravitas, stillness, and renewal.

Before You Arrive.

There’s no preparation required—no goals to set or intentions to declare.


Instead, we invite something quieter—and more powerful: to carry a question.


Not one to solve, but one to live with.

A different kind of readiness.


  • “Knowledge is a love affair with answers.
    Wisdom is a love affair with questions.”
    —Julio Olalla

    There’s no performance to deliver. No expectations to meet.
    Just a question.

    Not the kind that demands an answer.
    But the kind that opens space inside you.

    A question that’s been quietly walking beside you—
    or one that meets you freshly now.

    You don’t need to speak it aloud.
    You don’t even need to understand it yet.

    The retreat will unfold around this question.
    Not to solve it,
    but to live in its presence.

    What question might accompany you in?
    Let it come. Let it stay. Let it change form.
    That is its work.

What You’ll Experience.

  • Unfolding

    Through guided dialogue, reflection, and embodied practice, you’ll begin to feel what this stage of life quietly makes possible: a deeper kind of presence, aliveness, and leadership—held in a tone that’s both quiet and intentional

  • Stillness

    You’ll have space for silence and solitude—moments to meet yourself again beneath the role, the pace, and the noise. In small-group dialogue and deep listening, you’ll surface what’s often left unsaid and begin to hear what’s forming within you.

  • Presence

    In midlife, transformation rarely happens alone. It deepens in shared presence—in being seen without pretense, and seeing others with the same unguarded clarity. This is where insight becomes integration.

Midlife’s Arc of Emergence.

  • 1. Hearing the Signal Beneath the Noise

    Change begins in subtle places—when a once-necessary identity starts to feel tight, or a long-held belief softens. The outer momentum remains, but inside, something feels misaligned. A deeper signal begins to rise.

  • 2. Facing What’s Been Convenient to Avoid

    You begin to see into the beautiful abyss of your own mind—your habits of thought, your unexamined certainties. The structures you’ve relied on start to loosen. Awareness expands. Curiosity returns.

  • 3. Letting Go of Outgrown Identities

    You release versions of yourself that once brought purpose, pride, even power—but no longer feel alive. What remains isn’t emptiness. It’s clarity. A quiet readiness to lead from a more essential place.

  • 4. Loosening the Grip

    You stop trying to control every outcome. You begin trusting the system, the people—and the quiet intelligence moving through your life. It’s not passivity—it’s a wiser form of agency. One that makes space for emergence.

  • 5. Leading from the Edge of Who You’re Becoming

    You re-enter with presence. With creativity. With a new sense of what truly holds value now—not just for your work, but for your life. And with the freedom to shape what only this chapter can bring.

After You Leave.

There’s no follow-up program. No checklist. No action plan.


Instead, we offer something rarer: nothing.


Not absence, but space.

A different kind of support.

  • Nothing follows this retreat by design.
    No session to review what happened.
    No invitation to stay connected.
    No effort to convert insight into action.

    The work continues—without effort, without prompting.
    Because what changed wasn’t your plan. It was you.

    You may notice it weeks later.
    In a conversation that catches you off guard.
    In a choice that feels lighter than expected.
    Or in something you no longer need.

    There’s no pressure to track it.
    No need to capture or explain.

    The retreat is over.
    And something quietly exhilarating remains.

Kind Words from Leaders Who Have Worked with Us in the Past.

  • "A deeply felt experience—examining how you are living, and how to define a purposeful path ahead."

    Ray Ferguson, Chairman, Singlife Group

  • "Wisdom naturally emerges from people in the room and helps them connect, create, and inspire one another. An art to be 'Here and Now.’"

    Audrey Ricard, Group Head Executive Development, Prudential

  • "It is transformative. Not an epiphany. A subtle discernment."

    Mathilde Swierczynska, Managing Director, Head of Compliance, UBP - Union Bancaire Privée

  • "Even though it was a tough few days, the results were transformational and set us on a path which has been successful and which is still working very well for us 18 months later."

    Bill Maldonado, CEO, Eastspring Investments

  • "Helps uncover blind spots, improve self-awareness, and see more clearly how others respond to you."

    Julien Callard, Group Chief Actuary, AXA

  • "Inspires and empowers individuals to discover their best selves."

    Alexandre Macaire, Group CFO, Techcombank

  • "Cultivates in individuals and teams a lasting sense of empowerment, resilience and confidence."

    Aarti Ramaswami, Dean, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific

A Setting Apart, in Bali.

The Emergence Retreat unfolds in a setting chosen not just for its beauty, but for what it makes possible. Tucked in one of Bali’s hidden corners, it offers rare conditions—quiet, privacy, and spaciousness—for something new to stir. This isn’t a resort. It’s a threshold. A place where the next chapter begins to take shape.

This is an intimate gathering of 10 to 12 senior executives.


We’ll spend five days and four nights together, beginning mid-afternoon on the first day (date TBD) and concluding late morning on the fifth.

You’ll stay in a private ensuite room. Meals are freshly prepared onsite. Airport transfers are arranged for your arrival and departure.

Investment: US$6,400 per person.

This inaugural cohort rate is a significant reduction from the standard US$11,000 fee. Includes private room, all meals, transfers, and full retreat program. (Airfare not included.)

Feeling a quiet yes?

If this retreat speaks to something in you, leave your details below. We’ll be in touch personally as the first circles come together.