Karren Brady calls on women to ‘speak up and be heard’
BARONESS Karren Brady is calling on women to shatter the “glass ceiling” and make themselves heard in the male-dominated business world.
The Apprentice star wants women to “speak up” so they can succeed at the top levels of management and overcome the corporate gender gap.
She spoke to launch an MBA with Arden University, which has its headquarters on the Middlemarch Business Park in Coventry.
Baroness Brady said: “Creating a programme for people from different backgrounds, especially women, and giving them the skills and confidence to succeed in the corporate world is a vital step in improving boardroom diversity and the productivity of UK plc.
“The Karren Brady
MBA is suitable for both men and women. Undoubtedly, men will benefit from the promotion of skills that are often lacking in macho senior management teams. However, it is also true that women face barriers to promotion, which this progressive MBA will address.
“Diversity and inclusion is crucial for successful team performance and the fact remains that there is a glass ceiling for far too many women. Our new MBA has a high degree of relevance for female managers in this country. About 30 per cent of MBA completers are women in this countryand that cannot be right in 2020.
“It’s clear that women can achieve success in business if they have ambition and put themselves where they need to be. So speak up. Be heard. Stand out.
“With this MBA, you can make yourself whatever you want to be.”
The MBA will promote ‘soft skills’ such as personal communication, negotiation, self-development and character traits associated with emotional intelligence. Students will also be shown how to develop resilience and “speak up and be heard” among senior managers.
Primarily a distancelearning course delivered by specialist online degree provider Arden University, each of the MBA’s modules will feature a masterclass with a business leader, including Baroness Brady in which she will draw on her personal experiences in a career that has taken her from top-flight football management to the House of Lords.
Baroness Brady added: “This degree provides academic accolade as well as the soft skills which are the basis of business. I believe there is no progression without learning and there are many times in my life when I have had to learn, adjust, re-step and reflect to achieve progress.
“The Karren Brady MBA is designed to provide its students with the skills to learn confidence to pursue career goals. That is what has been missing from business education and that is why I am putting my name to this programme.”
Women hold just 16.9 per cent of board seats globally and4.4 per cent of CEO positions, according to a study by professional services giant Deloitte.
Matthew Cooper, head of school, Business and Management at Arden University, who developed the MBA with Baroness Brady, said: “It’s astonishing that boardrooms in the 21st Century still lack diversity. It means businesses often miss out on the broadest range of skills including attributes of emotional intelligence. These are essential skills that can enhance business productivity, employee motivation and staff retention.”
Baroness Brady, vicechair of West Ham United FC, is taking an active role in the Karren Brady
MBA with Arden University, working with academics to develop the modules and study materials.
Students will complete an entrepreneurial project during the two-year course and benefit from optional residential workshops including a training session delivered by consultants from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts to boost communication skills. They will also receive one-to-one career coaching on brand concepts and personal development plans.
Applications are open now for the MBA, which costs £12,500 and starts in November 2020.
Victoria Stakelum, Deputy CEO of Arden University, said: “Baroness Brady is highly respected in industry and has a wealth of knowledge in the corporate world. She will be able to give students on the Karren Brady MBA unique insights and a competitive edge as they seek to upskill and learn practical ways to develop their careers at senior management level. Baroness Brady has been deeply involved in the course content and will play a key role with interactions with students on each of the six modules.
“Arden University offers flexible learning and we hope the new Karren Brady MBA will open up doors to career progression for learners from all backgrounds, particularly women, who are under-represented in senior positions.”