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Karren Brady - Is her role on The Apprentice becoming untenable ?


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Old 15-01-2011, 10:35
Pepperoni Man
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Just wondering.

KB is Vice Chairman of West Ham

West Ham are presently bottom of the premier league

They have in theory a better squad of players than some of the other clubs struggling at the bottom

The Club appears to be in a precarious financial situation

West Ham seem unable to decide whether to sack their manager and he has said that the speculation surrounding his future is effecting him and his players.Avram Grant is supposedly now going to be dismissed next week and replaced by Martin O'neill.

She has supposedly said that she would like to change the name of the club to West Ham Olympic, an obviously crass and stupid thing for anybody who supposedly knows about football to say

She has previously been involved with Birmingham City, a club who have also been accused of being run in a shoddy and insensitive way in the past.

As a casual Apprentice watcher I am beginning to wonder whether her position on the show is becoming somewhat ridiculous. Given a slightly suspect track record in business herself is she in any position to be advising Lord Sugar regarding future employees ?

Or am I over reacting and given that she is TV friendly and that ultimately the programme is only a TV show made for entertainment she should just carry on ?
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Old 15-01-2011, 16:31
Sweet FA
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Dunno but one of Sugar's former Apprentice interviewers, Paul Kemsley(who was particularly harsh to Tre) had to file for bankruptcy after his business crashed. LA knows some very dodgy people indeed it seems.

Having said that, the business world is littered with good and bad as well as a healthy dose of bush!tters!

I don't find KB particulary insightful in her role on the Apprentice and she doesn't bring anything special or unique to the table either.
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Old 15-01-2011, 18:43
Jepson
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I found her quiet, competent and pleasant. She showed some insight.

Her main problem is that she's not Margret.
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Old 16-01-2011, 08:29
Pepperoni Man
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I found her quiet, competent and pleasant. She showed some insight.
I'm guessing that if you worked for her you may find that she posesses none of those attributes

The West Ham debacle carries on and I am reminded of KB during the Apprentice imploring the contenders of the correct way to behave in business
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Old 16-01-2011, 10:12
Jepson
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I'm guessing that if you worked for her you may find that she posesses none of those attributes
Well, possibly, but as this is a forum dedicated to a TV programme that isn't really a consideration.

She seems to have been accepted very well by the people here considering whose shoes she had to fill.
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Old 16-01-2011, 12:16
apprenticeguru
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Personally I think she's doing allright - she's certainly insightful. Sure, she may not be able to pull faces as well as Nick, or come out with one-liners to match Margaret, but I definetly think she's just as bright as each of them.

In some ways, Karen is more insightful than Nick (who has made me raise my eyebrows a few occasions this year). Hopefully for her, she'll keep her job because of that.
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Old 16-01-2011, 13:02
Pepperoni Man
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Well, possibly, but as this is a forum dedicated to a TV programme that isn't really a consideration.

She seems to have been accepted very well by the people here considering whose shoes she had to fill.
Personally I think she's doing allright - she's certainly insightful. Sure, she may not be able to pull faces as well as Nick, or come out with one-liners to match Margaret, but I definetly think she's just as bright as each of them.

In some ways, Karen is more insightful than Nick (who has made me raise my eyebrows a few occasions this year). Hopefully for her, she'll keep her job because of that.
Yep - I understand these points and I have no problem with KB while actually on the programme

However, the shoddy way in which West Ham is being run and the way they are treating a senior employee of the club surely reflects badly on her and her role within the apprentice.

She has made much on the Apprentice about behaving correctly - the girls big bust up in one of the early episodes for example
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Old 16-01-2011, 15:55
Jepson
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However, the shoddy way in which West Ham is being run and the way they are treating a senior employee of the club surely reflects badly on her and her role within the apprentice.

She has made much on the Apprentice about behaving correctly - the girls big bust up in one of the early episodes for example
Her football activities are pretty much irrelevant to her Apprentice ones. Unless she were to be found guilty of cooking the books or having players bumped off I very much doubt that many people give a monkeys.

I'm sure there are a few special interest groups who could come up with some questionable activities on the part of AS himself.
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Old 16-01-2011, 16:39
Pepperoni Man
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Her football activities are pretty much irrelevant to her Apprentice ones. Unless she were to be found guilty of cooking the books or having players bumped off I very much doubt that many people give a monkeys.

I'm sure there are a few special interest groups who could come up with some questionable activities on the part of AS himself.
Surely a prerequisite for the show would be for her to come from a successful business background though ? It doesn't matter that it's football but because it is football her abject failure to manage the club and managerial situation will attract more attention

Your second para opens up another can of worms !
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Old 16-01-2011, 17:38
Jepson
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Surely a prerequisite for the show would be for her to come from a successful business background though ?
I was under the impression she did.

Presumably if she were to get the boot from whomever she's working for at the moment on the basis of gross incompetence the BBC might look again. So I suppose it's up to the board of the company she's running.
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Old 17-01-2011, 23:08
thenetworkbabe
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Her football activities are pretty much irrelevant to her Apprentice ones. Unless she were to be found guilty of cooking the books or having players bumped off I very much doubt that many people give a monkeys.

I'm sure there are a few special interest groups who could come up with some questionable activities on the part of AS himself.
Indeed and its hardly her fault if her players can't score a goal in a game as random as football. Can't see much case that she can't do two jobs either. That doesn't stop Trump, Sugar, the younger Trumps, Margaret or Nick doing their day jobs too.
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Old 20-01-2011, 22:13
Pepperoni Man
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Indeed and its hardly her fault if her players can't score a goal in a game as random as football.
Too simplistic in my view. If a car manufacturer makes poor cars it isn't just the fault of the workers on the assembly line
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Old 20-01-2011, 22:40
thenetworkbabe
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Too simplistic in my view. If a car manufacturer makes poor cars it isn't just the fault of the workers on the assembly line
Depends what the balance is in football success between luck, skill, the opponents behaviour, individual's psychological responses, teamwork, and what a coach can change. Assembly lines just need the right people, parts and a good design to produce good cars - good coaches and good players can still play poorly more often than not - just look at the England team.........
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Old 23-01-2011, 22:11
Pepperoni Man
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Depends what the balance is in football success between luck, skill, the opponents behaviour, individual's psychological responses, teamwork, and what a coach can change. Assembly lines just need the right people, parts and a good design to produce good cars - good coaches and good players can still play poorly more often than not - just look at the England team.........
Are you suggesting that the CEO of a football club has no influence whatsoever over how successful that club is on the pitch ?
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Old 24-01-2011, 08:50
Jepson
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Are you suggesting that the CEO of a football club has no influence whatsoever over how successful that club is on the pitch ?
What's more to the point is that there's no reason why The Apprentice should change its line up for something as trivial and unimportant as football.
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Old 24-01-2011, 18:48
Tercet2
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The OP does omit to mention that prior to Karren Brady and her business partners (David Sullivan and David Gold) taking over, West Ham United was a financial basket case. The previous owners were Icelandic banks and billionaires. These all went the way of the other Icelandic banks i.e they went into melt down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B...%C3%B0mundsson

Karren Brady isn't the CEO as such, her title is vice-chairwoman. Gold and Sullivan are joint chairmen, having put in millions of their own (porn industry) money. Same position as when they bought the then almost financially finished Birmingham City. Brady is usually the public face for several obvious reasons

I did see an interesting Hardtalk interview with David Sullivan several months ago. Interesting despite the fact I don't like him or football much. One of the points he made were that many players and other staff were on long contracts, at very high wages, all regardless of how they performed. Most of football clubs current financial problems can be found at West Ham. I felt his commitment to turning this around, despite how long it might take, was sincere.

Like Jepson, I found her 'quiet, competent and pleasant. She showed some insight.' And a lot better than I expected as she appeared to be the only one taking the thing seriously IMHO. Whilst Margaret was insightful, her background was specialised. She was a lawyer. Nick too was specialised (public relations). Karren at least has more rounded expertise.
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Old 02-02-2011, 16:54
Pepperoni Man
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What's more to the point is that there's no reason why The Apprentice should change its line up for something as trivial and unimportant as football.
...
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Old 06-04-2011, 14:41
pulltheotherone
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I wonder why they say, former aide to Alan Sugar

Alan Sugar’s advisor hails revolutionary recruitment portal

28/03/2011
By Max Clarke

Staffbay, a newly launched recruitment platform for businesses, has received the backing of former aide to Alan Sugar, Karren Brady.

Founded by industry experts, staffbay is set to revolutionise online recruitment by opening up interaction between candidates and potential employers. staffbay is the ‘one-stop-shop’ for jobseekers and employers looking to recruit new employees. It enables candidates to upload a “CMe” instead of a CV, with video, personal profiles and certificates. This allows greater searchability for employers to connect the right candidate to the right job.

The service is free for candidates to search, and free for businesses to advertise openings, as Karren explains: “Recruitment advertising is a really expensive overhead for businesses. Staffbay is fantastic because you only pay once the right candidate has accepted.”

This will, Warren adds, ‘set the jobs market free’ and allow greater communication between prospective employers and employees allowing for greater scope for employers to connect the right candidate to the right job.

Karren Brady comments: “staffbay gives employers the chance to see, and to listen to potential employees. I think staffbay is going to change the way that we employ people and the way people get jobs
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Old 08-05-2011, 21:10
Pepperoni Man
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A visit to a West Ham forum will give people a good idea of what some West Ham fans think of KB
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Old 08-05-2011, 22:54
Bunnyfoo
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What's more to the point is that there's no reason why The Apprentice should change its line up for something as trivial and unimportant as football.
Well said!
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Old 08-05-2011, 23:05
Karly
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Conspiracy theory - did Margaret REALLY want to leave to do a PhD or was the Beeb up to its old tricks bringing in a younger model?
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Old 08-05-2011, 23:17
The Net
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Reminds me of former Dragon's Den panelist Rachel Elnaugh who had to leave the show when her Company Red Letter Days went into administration.

Karen Brady is a tv "personality" and the parlous state of the finances a football club (like most of them) that had everything to do with overspending former owners and not her will not affect her appearances one iota. And neither should it do.
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Old 09-05-2011, 10:45
ofni
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If West Ham casts doubt on Karren's suitability for The Apprentice then consider these two words:




Sugar.




Spurs.
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Old 09-05-2011, 11:05
cunningham1471
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I'm guessing that if you worked for her you may find that she posesses none of those attributes

The West Ham debacle carries on and I am reminded of KB during the Apprentice imploring the contenders of the correct way to behave in business
I'm not a football fan, let alone a West Ham fan so don't give a toss about it's league position and it's business affairs, but I do know that everything doesn't rest entirely on her shoulders and hers alone. If at board meetings she is out voted then how can it be her fault? If David Sullivan pulls the "It's my club, my money, just do it" how is it her fault?

So Karen is the Vice-Chairman. That means the Chairman is above her so is more responsible for the situation than her.
Since when did the Vice-Chairman have more power and over rule the Chairman?
Interesting you still say Chairman and not Chairwoman or Chairperson That isn't the real problem you have with her is it?

I really can't see what the fuss is about regardless of whther it's Karen, Margaret, Nick or anyone else. It's quite an easy job they are doing on the show. Even I could do it and I have no experience in business. All they do is observe and make notes. You, I and everyone else watching can see the mistakes they are making. If you are cleaning the car with a hose close the bloody window. If you have an meeting with the buyers in a shop and they say no we don't sell that product don't try and get in their face and bully them into taking it and expect them to change their mind. Keep an eye on your overheads and do your costing and so forth.
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Old 09-05-2011, 11:31
Jepson
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Since when did the Vice-Chairman have more power and over rule the Chairman?
Since Derek Hatton and Liverpool Council.

(But I agree with what you're saying - the above is an exception).
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