The board
The board
Published: 26 September 2017
Having left school in Hackney aged 16, Alan Sugar started selling electric goods out of a van he bought for £50. In 1968, he founded Amstrad and now, over 49 years later, he has an estimated worth of over £1 billion and was ranked 103rd in the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List.
A former Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur FC, he sold his Amstrad empire to Sky in July 2007. His other companies include Amscreen, the UK’s largest digital media owner and property investment firm Amsprop. Until 2014 he was chairman of Viglen, a manufacturer specialising in computers, networks and solutions.
In 2000, he was knighted for his services to business and he holds two honorary Doctorates of Science degrees, awarded by City University and Brunel University respectively.
Having previously sat on the Business Council for Britain and fronted a campaign promoting the benefits of apprenticeships, he was named as the government’s Enterprise Champion in 2009 and appointed to the House of Lords as Baron Sugar of Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney.
Lord Sugar has also appeared in all twelve series of BBC’s The Apprentice, where aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to work with him. The thirteenth series goes on air this autumn.
Lord Sugar is a philanthropist for a number of charities including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Jewish Care
Claude Littner
Claude Littner is a successful entrepreneur and businessman with almost 50 years’ experience in business. A long-term business associate and friend of Lord Sugar, he has chaired a number of his companies, including Amstrad International, Amstrad Spain, Dancall Telecom and Viglen.
When Lord Sugar was Chairman and majority shareholder of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Claude was Chief Executive. He was also deputy Chairman of Blacks, Chairman of ASCO plc, and Azzurri Telecom, Chairman and majority shareholder of Powerleague plc.
In 2014, The University of West London business school was renamed, The Claude Littner Business School in recognition of his exemplary business career and long-term association with the University.
Claude is married with 2 children.
Claude has appeared on The Apprentice in each of the 12 series, and best known for his fearsome interview style when grilling the candidates in the penultimate episode of each series. From series 11, he has also assumed the role of aide to Lord Sugar alongside Karren Brady.
Karren Brady
Karren Brady, Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge CBE, is one of the most influential, high profile and respected female business leaders in the UK.
Voted Business Woman of the Year, Ultimate Entrepreneur and rated among the 50 most inspirational people in the world, she is passionate about business and the promotion of women in business in the UK.
At 27 years old, Karren was the youngest Managing Director of a PLC in the UK when she oversaw the floatation of Birmingham City Football Club.
She is currently CEO of West Ham United Football Club, as well as Senior Non-Executive Director of Syco Entertainment and Taveta Investments, owner of global brands including Topshop.
She joined the board of West Ham in January 2010, and negotiated a successful bid for the club’s move to London’s iconic 60,000-seat Olympic Stadium. Under her leadership, West Ham has become one of the five fastest-growing brands in world football.
Lady Brady was made a life peer by the Prime Minister, entering the House of Lords in 2014 and received a CBE from the Queen for her services to business, entrepreneurship and women in business.
Karren’s wealth of experience and passion for supporting entrepreneurs led to her appointment as the Government’s Business Ambassador by the Prime Minister in 2013. Karren joined The Apprentice in 2010 and has been an Aide to Lord Sugar for the past seven series; a role previously held by Margaret Mountford.
