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“Primarily I love what I do – my passion drives my work”, says David.
David doesn’t have too much time to devote to hobbies as his work keeps him busy, including lots of international travel. Although past state pension age, David continues to work.
David’s career began in telecoms and computing, and his current business interests focus on digital technology; including immersive experiences, gamification and wearable technology.
As well as loving what he does, David says that there is also a significant financial element to his continuing to work, saying, "I have pension income but not assets, and I want to make sure that I can be self-sufficient as I get older, so the additional income is important to me.
“I would work more if I could, but sometimes I’ve found that my age has barred me from consideration for some opportunities. It’s wrong, as I think that the older demographic has so much to offer. We need to move beyond that perception that older people don’t know things.
“Some people imagine themselves working until 65 to get a pension and not have to work. But I never bought into that. If I wasn’t working every day and being challenged to learn new programmes and technology, I think I’d be dead in a few years! It’s my raison d'être and it makes me feel valuable and worthwhile."
I give talks about the future of technology and lots of people say to me, ‘how is it you know so much about technology at your age’? But it can be frustrating, as I feel I still have so much to offer even if that’s not what’s expected of someone at 76."
“When people see your appearance, they can judge you as frail, or not very physically active. I get offered a seat on the tube because of my appearance, even though I walk five miles a day! But I’m not offended, it makes me smile", says David.
“I have to acknowledge, though, I’m guilty of ageism myself. I look at other people and make assumptions...it’s very ingrained in our society.”
