Running a company in modern Britain is “a young man’s job”, according to the chief executive of National Express.
Phil White is leaving the transport company at the end of the year because he feels too old to continue at the age of 56, the Guardian reports.
He said the rigours of office life were too demanding for people of his age. “It depends how you define ‘old’,” he said. “I think I am. I’ve done 10 years and I can go out with my head held high.
“I do very much think the CEO’s job is for a young man – not for someone in their late 50s. The world’s a lot more competitive these days and people work a lot harder.”
However, the charity Age Concern disagreed with his views.
“Not everyone shares Mr White’s view that people in their late 50s are too old to work in senior positions,” it said.
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“Someone’s suitability to do a job is not based on their age but on ability and motivation. For most people in their 50s, there is no evidence that job-related capacity declines.”
