Baroness Karren Brady has stepped down as vice-chair of Premier League club West Ham after 16 years.
The businesswoman, who was appointed in January 2010 by then joint-chairs David Sullivan and David Gold, left on 15 April.
She told the Times, external she had made the decision to leave in mid-February, having first started considering it in January.
In a statement, Brady said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the board, management, players, staff and supporters at West Ham United.
“Together we have achieved remarkable milestones, but the highlight for me will always be lifting the Uefa Europa Conference League trophy – a moment that will stay with me forever.
“I am deeply grateful for the relationships, challenges and opportunities that have shaped my time at the club.
Brady’s arrival at West Ham followed more than 16 years at Birmingham City, where she was appointed managing director aged 23 in 1993. She later became the youngest managing director of a UK public limited company when she floated the club on the London Stock Exchange in 1997.
At West Ham, Brady oversaw the club’s move from Upton Park to London Stadium in 2016, beating Tottenham to secure the tenancy, as well as Declan Rice’s £105m transfer to Arsenal.
On the field, the club achieved European success, reaching the Europa League semi-finals in 2021-22 and winning the 2022-23 Conference League – their first major trophy since 1980.
West Ham have spent 14 consecutive seasons in the Premier League, but are in danger of relegation to the Championship, sitting just two points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham with five matches to play.
Some West Ham fans have frequently protested against Brady and co-owner Sullivan, including during the current season, with on-field performances and dissatisfaction with the stadium among their complaints.
Brady has also been involved in the women’s team, who are 11th in the Women’s Super League.
They remain the only WSL team yet to play at their club’s larger men’s stadium – and the women’s academy is the only in the league to be ranked category two.
West Ham‘s joint-chair Daniel Kretinsky alluded to the opposition to Brady as he praised her work at the club.
“Her contribution to West Ham United‘s growth, such as the long-term contract for the London Stadium, shareholders transition and the British record transfer of Declan Rice, has been absolutely essential and not always fully appreciated,” Kretinsky said.
“Karren is also very highly appreciated in the Premier League leadership community and was an excellent representative of our club there.”
Joint-chair Sullivan, who also worked with Brady when he owned Birmingham City, hailed her as an “exceptional leader” and a “key figure in the club’s development”.
Alongside her career as a football executive, Brady has spent 16 years as Lord Alan Sugar’s assistant on BBC show The Apprentice and entered the House of Lords as a life peer in 2014.
West Ham executive director Nathan Thompson has also stepped down from his role with immediate effect, saying it has been “a privilege to be a part of this club”.
“I am proud to have been one of only two black board members in the Premier League, and I look forward to seeing greater diversity in leadership across the game,” he added.
SOURCE: BBC Sports
