The sharpest change rarely announces itself with a bang. It slips into the room quietly, takes a seat at the table, and proceeds to reframe the entire conversation.
Diane Chia, executive director of Millennia Village, has mastered the art of gentle disruption. In a sector still tethered to outdated scripts about ageing and dependence, she stands as the vanguard — an early light for what senior living could become if only we dared to imagine.
Her starting point is a fundamental reimagining of what senior living means. “One assumption I believe needs to be broken is the idea that senior living is purely a need — something to consider only when health declines, or finances tighten,” Chia explains.
This limited view, she argues, reduces an entire life stage to crisis management. At Millennia Village, the vision is radically different: senior living is an empowering lifestyle choice, where individuals seek out vibrant, connected communities not out of necessity, but by desire.
This shift from compromise to aspiration drives everything Chia builds. Why, she asks, should anyone wait until they’re alone or struggling?
“Choosing senior living should be as exciting and enriching as choosing a new chapter, a new adventure,” she says. It’s about supporting independence while enhancing quality of life — every single day.
These aren’t empty promises. Millennia Village embodies this philosophy in every detail, replacing sterile corridors and institutional routines with spaces designed for connection, lifelong learning, and well-being. Here, wellness isn’t a remedy for decline but a daily practice for those who want to live fully and intentionally. The model positions senior living as a proactive choice rather than a reluctant surrender.
Yet transforming an entire industry means navigating deep-rooted resistance. Chia encounters this most often from the sector’s traditional guardians — individuals deeply respected for their experience and contributions.
In cultures where hierarchy and filial piety are deeply ingrained, this respect holds genuine significance. However, deference, she has observed, can sometimes discourage fresh perspectives, especially when experience is equated strictly with age rather than ongoing relevance.
Her response is characteristically nuanced. “My intention isn’t to challenge authority, but rather to honour it while also advocating for open-mindedness,” she explains.
By creating space for both experience and fresh ideas to coexist, she ensures their work remains purposeful and forward-thinking, essential qualities for building communities that truly reflect the evolving needs and aspirations of their members.
Leading with empathy
In Chia’s ideal system, the rigid hierarchies of today would give way to something more fluid. Structure and leadership would remain, but in a more horizontal and collaborative form. Expertise would be measured not by title or tenure alone but by “contribution, relevance, and the ability to work with others toward a shared goal”.
She envisions bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds, empowering them to co-create systems that actually work.
The result would be a culture where trust replaces control, alignment outweighs authority, and every voice feels valued. “It’s not about removing leadership,” she clarifies, “it’s about reimagining how leadership can bring out the best in everyone.”
This philosophy extends to how she builds her business. In an industry often reduced to metrics — beds filled, costs managed — Chia prioritises collaboration over competition and quality over quantity.
She invests in the right talent, even when it takes more time or resources, knowing this creates sustainable success. Most distinctively, she leads with empathy, a quality not always valued in the business world but one she considers essential.
“It builds trust, inspires loyalty, and creates a culture where people thrive,” she notes. These aren’t just good intentions, but intentional decisions that shape meaningful, lasting impacts.
Maintaining this approach requires constant evolution. Chia is actively unlearning the belief that worth comes from constant productivity or traditional measures of success.
For years, she equated being busy with being valuable, thinking that doing more, faster, was the only path forward. Now, she’s learning to slow down, creating space for reflection, intention, and even rest.
She’s also releasing the notion that effective leadership requires balancing empathy with toughness. “I’ve come to see that empathy is a strength — it fosters connection, trust, and resilience,” she reflects.
Behind this philosophical stance lies a deeply personal anchor. At 75, Chia’s father — an accomplished businessman in the semiconductor industry — could easily be enjoying retirement.
Instead, he invests his time, energy, and resources into Millennia Village, a project that’s unproven, purpose-driven, and deeply personal. His quiet support speaks volumes.
“His belief in what we’re building, and in me, reminds me that impact isn’t always measured in headlines or milestones,” Chia says. “Sometimes, it’s in the quiet nod of someone you admire most.”
Hope through generations
This personal conviction fuels Chia’s broader optimism. She finds hope in how younger generations are prioritising well-being — physically, mentally, and emotionally — much earlier in life.
While they’re still navigating work-life balance, the intention is clear. This growing awareness around health and quality of life signals a cultural shift toward long-term thinking and conscious living.
“I believe this generation will not only understand the importance of planning for a fulfilling later life — they’ll embrace it,” she predicts. They’ll view senior living as an intentional lifestyle choice, not a last resort.
To be a vanguard is to take that hope and make it ordinary — to fold it into daily choices, to invest in people before results, and to persist with empathy in a field that prizes efficiency. It is, as Diane Chia demonstrates, to turn the future into a place worth arriving at, not simply enduring. In the quiet confidence of her leadership, an industry begins to change — not loudly, but persistently, until the rest of us catch up.
(Photos credit: Lawrence Teo/SPH Media, Millennia Village’s Facebook)
*This story was written by Zat Astha and originally published on The Peak Singapore.
