KARREN BRADY will receive this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Business in Britain Award at the 2017 Irish Post Awards.
Born in Edmonton, North London Baroness Brady is the daughter of self-made Irish millionaire Terry Brady.
One of Britain’s most high-profile business women, she began her career in advertising sales straight after leaving school.
Starting at Saatchi & Saatchi, she swiftly moved onto LBC as a sales executive before joining David Sullivan’s Sport Newspapers Ltd, becoming a Director within a year.
In 1993, aged just 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.
Having turned Birmingham City FC around, she sold the clubs in 2009 for £82million.
In 2010, Brady was appointed Vice-Chairman of West Ham United FC, and led 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.
Known to millions through her starring role as Lord Sugar’s trusted boardroom advisor on The Apprentice, Baroness Brady was awarded a CBE for services to Women in Business and Entrepreneurship in 2013.
Business woman Karren Brady holds her CBE, as she poses with her husband Paul Peschisolido (l) and children Sophia and Paolo (r), at Buckingham Palace on March 18, 2014 (Picture: John Stillwell/WPA Pool/Getty Images)The following year she was elevated to the House of Lords by the Prime Minister, taking the title Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge.
“Karren’s story is an inspiration to women everywhere,” Lord Sugar said of the mother-of-two. “She is a champion for women. Her story explains to others how to find that balance between family and being a top business woman at work.”
As a sought-after motivational business speakers, the second generation Irish woman’s career across football, publishing and business leadership has been one of unstoppable success.
Baroness Brady, is currently Vice-Chairman of West Ham United FC, a Senior Non-Executive Director on the board of Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and Chairman of Topshop.
She is the British Government’s Small Business Ambassador and also serves on the its Women in Sport Advisory Board.
Aside from her impressive achievements in football, Baroness Brady has written five books, including her most recent Strong Woman,which traces her incredible rise from selling ad space to running a Premier League football club.
She was also the subject of an hour-long documentary Inside Story – The Real Life Manageress shown on BBC 1.
This year's Irish Post Awards, celebrating 40 years, will be televised live for the first time.
Irish broadcaster TG4 will screen the red carpet Awards ceremony from London to homes across Ireland on November 23.
An estimated global audience of one million is expected for the live show on TV and online via social media channels.
