Digital business transformation: a question of age?

In a recent DSIM discussion I heard the statement of a DSIM member on the subject of digitalisation: "I'm over 50 now, I'm no longer expected to have digitalisation skills. You need a digital native for this...".

In my view, this assessment is not entirely correct.

With the Digital business transformation is primarily about change management, i.e. the human factor. Digital business transformation is also ostensibly "only" a disruption of existing business models, to which a company must respond with customised initiatives. This is about analogue topics such as the "Innovator's Dilemma" from the year 1997.

Where the disruption comes from is of secondary importance. What is important is how (and above all that) a company reacts to it.
Of course, a certain basic understanding of the technical possibilities (cloud, IoT, ML, AI) is required for the digitalisation strategy to be created. Without this, the optimal mix for the company cannot be determined. However, the implementation of the defined strategies and measures is just as important. After all, creating glossy presentations is not enough to solve a problem. This requires an experienced and Strong leadership personality.

With these latter requirements, seniority (aka "age") can again be an advantage.