Playing at the Top of Your Game
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Playing at the top of your game The perception of women in business has changed radically over the past few decades. One woman who has done more than most to bring diversity and equality into the boardroom is Karren Brady. As managing director of Birmingham City Football Club from 1993 to 2009 she turned around the fortunes of the club, whilst also championing the cause of female executives. In her current position as vice chairman of West Ham she is continuing this trend, whilst also finding time to act as Lord Sugar’s right-hand woman on the TV show The Apprentice. We caught up with Karren to ask about her views on women in business, the future of the economy and how private businesses can help support not only the recovery, but also the communities which they are part of. You’ve famously pioneered the cause of female-led business in the UK. When you first started your career at LBC and Saatchi and Saatchi, did you think you’d be so successful in making women’s voices heard in the boardroom? “I always had a very firm view of women’s place in both the workplace and in society. It’s something that’s always been at the core of my beliefs and I’ve been fortunate enough to reach a position where I can promote that message. I do practice what I preach: when I left Birmingham City 75% of the senior management team were women and at West Ham I’ve brought in three senior people who are also women. It’s something that’s dear to my heart.” Do you feel that a female approach to business, and to management in particular, is different to a male approach? Are female business leaders less happy with unnecessary risk-taking, or are women just more ‘risk aware’ in general? “I think women on the whole, in my experience, are less political. So they tend to serve the company rather than personal friendships. They tend to have a much more focused view as opposed to worrying when the next job might be coming along – they’ll focus on the job in hand. The problem of risk comes down to diversity – having too many people following the same aims, with nobody there as a health check to ask ‘Why are we doing this?’, ‘What is the reason for doing this?’ and assessing the risks. If you cut everybody in your own mould in the same business, then you don’t have enough pressure on the questions of ‘Why?’, ‘What are the benefits?’ and ‘What are the risks?’” How would you encourage private investment and entrepreneurial activity in the UK? Will private investment help us maintain the recovery? “Yes, I think private investment and people setting up their own businesses will help. There seems to be, from a female point of view, a view that all women want to run corporate banks – well that’s certainly not the case. What a lot of women want is a rewarding, well-paid job that allows them to have high-quality, affordable childcare. And if they can’t get that, then they don’t want to work. So what a lot of women are doing – more so than men – is setting up their own businesses from their kitchen tables. And I think that can only be a good thing. You can be well rewarded because you’re rewarding yourself with the work you’re doing. Some women do want to run big investment banks, but a lot of women don’t. There shouldn’t be any obstacles in the way whichever path you choose.” You’ve worked closely with Lord Sugar on this season’s series of The Apprentice. Did you feel the contestants were a positive example of the up-and-coming generation of business people? “Certainly the Junior Apprentice was a great, positive example. Lord Sugar had the view that teenagers get a bad press in this country and he wanted to show the world that there are ambitious, hard-working teenagers out there. And in particular to show other young people that being an entrepreneur is not about the qualifications or the academic achievements that you have. It’s more about spirit and determination and showing that hard work can conquer all. With the senior candidates, some of them come in with a lot of bravado. Then they have to adapt, change and learn and I think all of those things are important. They learn that part of the process of The Apprentice is the ability to put people under enormous pressure: pressure to run teams, pressure to make deals and pressure to make decisions. And these are all things we have to do on a daily basis when running a business. It’s a good test of character.” You’ve already achieved so much in business. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What plans do you have for the future? “To be honest, I’ve never been someone who has a plan; I’ve never had a tick list of ‘achieve this’ and ‘achieve that’. I’ve believed that nothing’s work unless you’d rather be doing something else. Until I get to the point where I’d rather be doing something else, I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I can assure you, with the hours that I work, if I wasn’t enjoying it or finding it rewarding it wouldn’t be physically possible to do it. I’m very lucky that I work in an industry which I like, that I’m respected in and which I can make a contribution to. So I’m very happy where I am at the moment. A lot of people think you wake up aged 41 and you’re the managing director of a business, but actually it doesn’t work like that. It takes years and years – decades even – of pivotal hard work to move up the ladder and get to be in a position where you’re running a business. On a daily basis, you’ve got to show strategy, leadership, dedication, determination and enthusiasm. And to be able to sustain that on a daily basis, you’ve got to enjoy what you do” You’ll be able to read more from Karren in the full version of this article when it appears in the spring issue of our Private Business magazine, available in April 2011. You can read our current issue of Private Business here This publication has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, its members, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it. © 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity. Insert Month/Year 2.