The Real Alan Sugar

Held as part of the HSBC series of lectures run at Brunel since 1983, 'An Evening with Sir Alan Sugar' departed from the norm in being a Q&A session rather than a formal lecture. In the words of Sir Alan: "The Q&A session is because I find speeches boring - not just giving them but also listening to them."

In an introductory video clip on Sir Alan's life, the audience were asked: 'Who is the real Sir Alan Sugar?' In answering that question the evening was anything but boring. As viewers of the BBC2 television series The Apprentice (which pitted young candidates against each other and a series of business tasks to gain a position in one of Sir Alan's companies) will be aware, Sir Alan possess a caustic wit. In fact the audience last night were warned by Brunel Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Schwartz in his introductory remarks: "It's a Q&A session and nothing is really off-limits. If it is, I'm sure Sir Alan will let you know!" No one crossed the invisible line but Sir Alan was not afraid to let people know when they were trying his patience.

In a major insight to his approach to business and life, Sir Alan referred to himself as a "commercial man". On being asked about the letters and ideas he gets sent through the post he put the flesh onto the bones of what a commercial man is: "I get bombarded by no hopers and I always ask: 'Where's the money, show me the money.' It's amazing the amount of people who haven't thought how or who they are going to charge for it."


Joseph Baines, the President of the Union of Brunel Students started the evening with the question: 'Why do you think that nationally we are struggling to excite youngsters into a career in engineering? And how would you go about promoting engineering as a profession to the youth of today?'

"The point I was making [during his acceptance speech on receiving on Honorary Degree from Brunel earlier this year] is that engineers are underpaid and under-valued in this country. Engineering needs to be made more attractive – at the moment people want to become consultants, as it is an easy route to put money in their pockets. In countries such as France engineers are regarded much more highly, in the same bracket as doctors and lawyers."


Lady Kitty Chisholm, Brunel's Director of Development, asked Sir Alan about his disdain for being wined and dined, and commented that at some point 'you must have done some serious schmoozing yourself – where do you draw the line?'

"I was told in my younger days that 'this is what you do' so I did wine and dine - it was dull and insincere. Younger people have to do it for me now as I don't have the patience!"

"Entertaining is now a big industry. It drives things like corporate hospitality at race days and football. It is now a deliberately prepared corporate expense. That’s how it is in business, people are used to the jollies. Take them away and people might leave."

A local businessman asked Sir Alan 'What is the recipe for being successful in business?'

"This is my most often asked question. There are three things:
You need knowledge of the industry
You need something special – what's your hook?
You need to work hard!"

"I don't have time here to discuss how NOT to be successful in business…"


On being asked: 'Are you now sorry that you did not stay on at school and possibly go to University?'

"The honest answer is no – in my case I'm brighter than most of the students here…"

"It's a different era now though. I am often asked the question when I talk to students in schools, 'do qualifications matter?' And the answer to that is yes. The HR Manager doing the recruiting can't see your personality, so if the qualifications aren't on your CV it goes in the bin. That might be unfair, but it's the harsh reality. You need to get qualifications otherwise you'll be in the bin.

"Is achievement more important than qualifications? You've got to have qualifications in order to achieve - it's the way into your first job.

"In fact, staying on might have hindered me. I started my own company at 17, if I'd been in school I might have gone on to do a gap year or something and wasted even more time!"


After Sir Alan espoused his view that we need to create a business culture in children at an early age, he was asked on the possible negative affect of children's values if more business teaching was introduced in schools.

"I'm sick and tired of the 'goody-goody' atmosphere in this country. I can see a court case coming from this question: You've stressed my child and I'm going to sue."


Richard Spence, General Manager of HSBC Southern Division, gave the vote of thanks after the lecture.