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 the London Stadium in 2016, beating off competition from 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 Europa 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 supporters have frequently protested against Brady and co-owner Sullivan, including during the 2025-26 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 girls academy is the only in the league to be ranked category 2.
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.