Karren Brady

Karren Brady began her career at LBC when she was 18 years old and swiftly moved onto Saatchi & Saatchi as junior Account Handler. She joined Sports Newspapers Ltd in 1988 and became Director within a year.

She is now known as the first woman of football having been appointed Director of Birmingham City Football Club from 1993 to 2009, during which time she turned around the club's fortune. Taking over Birmingham City FC when it was in administration, the Club recorded a financial trading profit in her first year at the helm, In January 2010, Karren was appointed Vice Chairman of West Ham United FC.

Karren has attracted much media attention in her position, and was the subject of an hour long documentary ‘Inside Story’ - The Real Life Manageress’ shown on BBC. She has written four books; a factual account of her first season at Birmingham City, ‘Brady plays the Blues’ two novels, ‘United’ and ‘Trophy Wives’ and her latest book ‘Playing to Win’ is about successful women in business.

“ The candidates must be very careful not to underestimate me Karren Brady

Karren is a columnist for The Sun newspaper; the UK’s biggest selling national daily newspaper and also writes for the popular lifestyle magazines Cosmopolitan and Woman & Home. She is a judge of the Cosmopolitan Women of Achievement Awards and is an Ambassador for the Stroke Association and WellChild. Previously on the Board of Mothercare PLC, Channel 4 Television and Sport England, Karren now holds the position of non-Executive Director of Arcadia. She is an honoree Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing and in 2010 was awarded an honorary Doctorate from the University of Birmingham.

In March 2007 she was chosen as the Project Manager of the girls team on BBC One’s The Apprentice, for Comic Relief, where she lead her team to a resounding victory over the boys, raising over £750k for charity.