I work on everything Karren works on, from West Ham to
The Apprentice, right through to booking her travel and paying the electricity bill!
mind maybe, but not so that I have had to deal with it at any time in at least the last 10 years. I fully believe those days are over. It’s all a bit of an archaic notion nowadays.” For someone who oozes glamour, and who showcases
impeccable style and detail at every public event, Karren admits her highly maintained appearance reflects her persona, and it’s always been the way she has preferred to portray herself, even if in the past that was to her detriment. “I applied for a Satur- day job when I was 16 at Waitrose. And I went for my interview, only to be told me I wasn’t suitable because I was too glamorous,” she baulks. “Now I don’t know how that was possible – I was a teenager with nothing... no fancy clothes or jewellery. I don’t know what their problem was. But yes, I was too glamorous and that’s the only reason they gave for me not being suitable for Waitrose employment. “So that’s stuck with me all these years. I was highly
embarrassed and I still have slightly resentful feelings towards them – I haven’t been in a Waitrose since, nor do I have any desire to ever go in one again. I’ll never forget that.” Currently Karren is seated at the right hand of Lord Sugar
s Understandably, punching in at nine and
rolling out at 5 is far from the case for this executive assistant position. “It’s 24/7 and I answer the phone at 8am in the morning on my day off!” Cassandra admits. “Things in Karren’s world and Karren’s diary change on the turn of coin. Wherever I am, I have to have my Blackberry, my dongle – everything that enables me to hook up and get online. It’s the nature of the job, and something I love, as well as the vari- ety. I work on everything Karren works on, from West Ham to The Apprentice, right through to booking her travel and paying the electricity bill! “I think the best aspect of the job is working with everyone
Above Karren Brady is Lord Sugar’s right hand woman, working with Nick Hewer to assess The Apprentice candidate’s performance both in and out of the boardroom Below Cassandra Kendall is the Personal Assistant who keeps Karren’s life ticking over smoothly
who, at the time of going to press, was continuing the search for his latest business partner. What does Karren think of the con- testant’s business nous? “The contestants on The Apprentice are always a lovely bunch; some make more mistakes than others – that’s often all that it comes down to. It’s a great show to be involved in, but it’s never my place to pass judgement –we’ll leave that up to Alan!” Would she have ever applied to go on the show
in her early days? “100%, without a doubt,” she says. “I would have relished the challenge. And, well, I did do ‘BBC Comic Relief Does The Apprentice’ –and won by a pretty decent margin – so if the opportunity had come up, I’d have definitely gone for it.
“As it is, I’m more than happy with the path I have taken in
at West Ham. They are the nicest bunch of people you could meet. Karren has such a good team here.” So does Karren believe there’s one responsibility above all others that’s of greatest importance? “Not really”, the 43-year- old wife of former Canadian international footballer Paul Peschisolido says. “Generally speaking, everything I do has to be of the utmost importance to her. She makes my business her business and that’s what I look for in an executive assistant – that’s paramount to me. She knows what I’m thinking before I even think it. Whether I’m filming on The Apprentice, in the boardroom or on the move, Cassandra’s there to keep it together for me at all times.” Lauded as one of the first to shatter the glass ceiling for
women in UK business, how does Karren think the role of women has changed over the past couple of decades? “I think women have been at the forefront for a long time now. There’s no real sexism across the business sector these days. To be hon- est, it probably exists somewhere, in the recesses of someone’s
10 MAY/JUNE 2012 |
WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.COM
the corporate world. I’m sure there are many more interesting challenges to come, and with the great support of those around me, I know I can attack those tasks with positivity and confidence – the most important aspects of business.” E
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