It seems fitting to have a podcast on ageism after a popular one with Simona Marinova on attracting young talent in telecoms.

Ageism is not only hard on the people affected by it, but also limits the ability of the industry to benefit from the experience of the senior workforce. At the same time, letting older people run the show may also slow down innovation and make telecoms less appealing to the younger generations.

I talked to Nirlay Kundu, Head of Technology Standards at IMDEA Networks. I have known Nirlay for a long time since he was at Verizon. He has a precious long-term perspective on ageism and talent in telecoms, spanning the US and Europe, working at an operator, and now mentoring and doing research with the youngest generation. How do we strike a good balance between attracting new talent and benefiting from wisdom and experience? What’s the best way to work together and help each other?