After Dinner SpeakersKarren Brady – Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge CBE is one of the UK’s most high-profile female business leaders.
Her natural wit, honest and down-to-earth approach, witnessed by millions through her starring role on The Apprentice, has made her one of the world’s most sought-after motivational business speakers.
Often referred to as ‘the First Lady of Football’, Baroness Brady is one of the most recognisable women in football.
Karren Brady Career:
Born in Edmonton, North London, Karren started a career in advertising sales straight after leaving school.
Initially, starting at Saatchi & Saatchi, she swiftly moved to LBC as a sales executive before joining David Sullivan’s Sport Newspapers Ltd, becoming a Director within a year.
In 1993, at 23, she was appointed MD of Birmingham City FC when the club was in administration. Four years later, she became the youngest managing director of a UK plc when she floated the club on the London Stock Exchange.
After turning Birmingham City FC around, Karren successfully negotiated the club’s sale in 2009 for £82 million.
West Ham United FC:
In 2010, Baroness Brady was appointed Vice-Chair of West Ham United FC and led a successful bid for the club’s move to the iconic 60,000-seat Olympic Stadium in London.
Following her first twelve months at West Ham, the Club made a trading profit for the first time in its recent history. Karren has since exponentially grown all of the club’s revenue streams.
Under her leadership, West Ham has seen an overall income growth of 300% and is now valued at £ 1 billion—propelling it to the 14th most valuable club in the world and 7th most valuable in the Premier League.
In January 2013, she secured a move for the Club to the former Olympic Stadium in London. The stadium was named winner of Stadium of the Year (2017) and its sold out capacity of 62,500 boasts the highest number of season ticket holders in the Premier League.
Karren has led the West Ham United brand to become one of the fastest-growing brands in global football and in the top 20 of all leading football brands in the world. The brand has an AA brand rating and a brand value of $616 million (Forbes, 2019).
“Karren’s story is an inspiration to women everywhere. She is a champion for women. Her story explains to others how to find that balance between family and being a top businesswoman at work.”
Lord Alan Sugar
Karren Brady Appointments and Awards:
In December 2013, Karren was awarded a CBE for services to Women in Business and Entrepreneurship. The Prime Minister later elevated her to the House of Lords, taking the title Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE.
Karren has won many awards for services to business, including:
- Cosmopolitan magazine’s Woman of the Year, and named in the category of ‘Woman Who Has Changed The World’
- Businesswoman of the Year
- NatWest Spirit of Everywoman Award for services to women in business
- 100 Most Powerful Women in Britain
- London’s 1000 Most Influential People
- Britain’s Most Inspirational Women by the Breakthrough for Breast Cancer Inspiration Awards
- CEO of the Year Award at the Football Business Awards
- BBC Women’s Hour: One of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom
- Top 500 most influential and inspirational people in Britain
Karren Brady – Motivational Speaker:
Passionate and straight-talking, Karren Brady has become one of the business world’s most in-demand motivational speakers.
Presented as a fireside chat or interview, Karren discusses her unstoppable success with plenty of insights, advice and anecdotes from her colourful career in football, publishing and business leadership.
Fireside Chat Topics covered include:
- Change Management
- Leadership
- Sport & Business
- Business
- Entrepreneurship
- Management
- Women in Business
Visit Karren’s Official Website: www.karrenbrady.com
For further information, please get in touch with Karren Brady’s agent:
Gordon Poole: gordon@gordonpoole.com
