Yes, that's my suspicion too. Older folk might know more, or be better at certain things than the younger managers and CEOs, owing to longer experience, and more years in which to have acquired skills. The managers and CEO's don't want the risk of being shown up in a meeting, for example, and don't want an embarrassing situation where the employee knows more than the manager.
But that's the stupid thing. I wouldn't be any good at running a company, or managing a workforce. Small teams, yes, but not a whole company. A CEO could employ me for a specific role and delegate me to perform that function.
And mature people are also more.....mature. They don't have that thrusting need to be seen to be the best or outsmart their colleagues. They tend to be more relaxed about such things.
And if the UK government needs workers, and are having to allow thousands of asylum seekers and boat people into the UK just to provide those workers, while putting millions of our own over 50's on the scrap heap, that is an utterly ridiculous situation and is unsustainable. The UK has a debt of almost £3 TRILLION, and the interest payments on that are £100 BILLION per annum. We desperately need to become a lot more productive as a nation to get that borrowing down.
Also, since they have extended the State retirement age to 67 or more, they need to raise the old 65 limit and allow those folk to work longer if they want to - to bridge the gap until their State pension starts.
Airline pilots, for example are very carefully assessed every 6 months; for our flying ability, dealing with emergencies, and our medical condition, including eyesight and hearing; so there is no reason why a pilot who continues to pass all the tests and exams should not continue in their job until 67 as well - if they want to.
As far as working for the RNLI on the shore; they said that too, but my skills and experience are on the sea and best suited for an active search and rescue role, not standing around manning a charity stall or shaking a tin at the local street market. I can be out there manning a boat. The 54 year old who passes the RNLI age restriction but only has one leg, would be more suited to the shore role, since they couldn't go on the boats.
60 need not be old any more. If a person has kept themselves fit and trim and active, their bodies can be just as fit and capable as a 40 year old's. I have done daily exercises and a weekly 10 km run almost continuously since leaving school. My waist is the same size as when I left school. I have no joint problems and my eyesight is good and needs no correction. Physically, I could easily pass for a 40 something.