The Apprentice’s Tim Campbell has said he wants to inspire young people from disadvantaged backgrounds “to dream” – and credited his mother and his school with his success.
Mr Campbell, who has replaced Claude Littner as a judge on this season of the show, said he wanted his rise from Forest Gate to Lord Sugar’s boardroom to encourage young people “not to let your environment define you”.
The Standard joined Mr Campbell on a visit to his old school, St Bonaventure’s in Forest Gate, where he is now a Chairman of Governors. As part of his role, he offers mentorship to pupils and makes frequent visits.
Mr Campbell, 44, was the first ever contestant to win The Apprentice in 2005 – developing a close business relationship with Lord Sugar and going on to amass a diverse business portfolio. But it was in the playground at St Bonaventure’s where he developed the “resilience” that drove his success, he said.
His mother Una brought he and two siblings up on her own in a house just 10 minutes from the school in Forest Gate, taking on three jobs. To this day, he feels grateful for the sacrifices she made during his childhood.
“My childhood was tough. I remember seeing my mum crying and wondering how we were going to pay the bills,” he said.
“She grafted really hard and worked a number of jobs – but I was so grateful for that and empowered by her work ethic.
“It acted as a catalyst for me to do the things that I’ve done.”
St Bonaventure’s played a vital role in Mr Campbell’s life and he credits the school with helping him developing “integrity” but also the toughness needed to survive in the business world.
“Resilience is the most important characteristic I developed here. In that playground when you’re playing football you had to be resilient to get through,” he said.
“We would have arguments or joke about each other, but those things gave you an armour. When I recruit, I want to see that toughness in people.
“To some people, growing up in Forest Gate might be perceived as a negative. Actually, it was beneficial – it gave us confidence and resilience.”
After a stint studying psychology at Middlesex University and working at Transport for London (TfL), Mr Campbell successfully applied to appear on the first season of The Apprentice – a decision that would ultimately change his life.
A key reason for joining the process was Lord Sugar, he said, whose best advice to him was to “get a good lawyer and accountant”.
“I had a huge respect for Lord Sugar - he was a Hackney boy who had done really well,” he said. “I wanted to work for one of Britain’s most powerful entrepreneurs”.
Mr Campbell went on to work for Lord Sugar for years and they developed a close friendship. He describes him as “very funny and incredibly generous”.
After leaving Amstrad, Mr Campbell set up the Bright Ideas Trust, a charity which helps to finance young people to set up their own businesses.
In 2012, Mr Campbell was awarded an MBE for Enterprise Culture and is currently working as Trading Futures lead at financial services firm OSTC.
The decision to come back to The Apprentice was difficult, Mr Campbell said, as he knew it would attract publicity and he had spent years enjoying relative anonymity. As a husband to wife Jasmine and father-of-two, he was also conscious of the exhausting effect of the filming process on his work-life balance.
“It was a soul-searching moment for me”, he said. “But I’m so proud to have been given the opportunity.”
Going forward, Campbell wants businesses to prioritise creating pathways for young people to enter the corporate world without feeling “imposter syndrome”. He noted that confidence was “second nature” to many children at independent schools – but said that mentorship and work experience could play a key role in helping pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We need more people from business environments to sit on school governing boards. Schools need to know what businesses are looking for so that we can nurture talent.
“It’s easy for businesses to criticise schools, but they should ask how many times they’ve been to an assembly or offered work experience opportunities.”
Headteacher Chris McCormack told the Standard he was “so proud” of Mr Campbell’s success on The Apprentice and hoped it would inspire his pupils.
“The reason we’re so proud of Tim is that he epitomises the school. He went on to reach his full potential but contributes to the common good and takes an interest in the next generation.
“We’re lucky to have so many role models who visit us and want to give back to the community.”
