DIVERSITY

Carl Honoré is a writer , broadcaster and two-time TED speaker . Published in 35 languages , his books on the Slow Movement and ageism have landed on bestseller lists around the world .

Recognising a gap in the market for a brand that answers the call of the ‘ betyour-ass-I-can ’ over-50s , Lyndsey Simpson set up 55 / Redefined to fly the flag for those who may be getting older but have no intention of slowing down .

Rachel Lankester is the founder of Magnificent Midlife , an online hub celebrating and empowering women aged 40 +. She is the author of Magnificent Midlife : Transform Your Middle Years , Menopause and Beyond and host of the Magnificent Midlife podcast .

Is age the forgotten factor when it comes to workplace diversity ? CH : Definitely . We ' ve gone a long way towards embracing people of different races , religions , genders and sexual orientations . But ageism remains rife in the workplace .

Older employees are routinely passed over for promotion , discarded first in hard times or fobbed off with unfulfilling work . Job interviews are harder to come by after you hit middle age .

Mark Zuckerberg once said “ young people are just smarter ” and nobody batted an eyelid .

LS : 100 %. For the last 15 years , the diversity , equity & inclusion movement has gathered significant pace , but the mechanism that employers have focused on to generate change , is targeted measures