Margaret Mountford

Infobox Person |name = Margaret Mountford |image = |image_size = |birth_name = Margaret Rose Swale |birth_date = (1951-11-24) 24 November 1951 |birth_place = Holywood, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |death_date = |death_place = |death_cause = |resting_place = |resting_place_coordinates = |residence = |nationality = British |other_names = |known_for = Advisor to Lord Sugar in UK version of The Apprentice (2005–09) |education = |alma_mater = Girton College, Cambridge |employer = Amstrad plc
Georgica plc |occupation = Lawyer
Businesswoman
Television personality |home_town = Holywood, Northern Ireland |title = |salary = |networth = |height = |weight = |party = |boards = |religion = |spouse = Richard Mountford (m. 1973–1990) (divorced) |partner = Gary O'Neil (1993–95,
1997–present) |children = Geraldine Mountford (born 1977) |parents = Kathleen (née Stevenson),
James Gamble |relations = Joseph Dunn (born 1996) |signature = |website = |footnotes = }}

Margaret Mountford (born Margaret Rose Swale on 24 November 1951) is a British lawyer, businesswoman and television personality known for her role in The Apprentice.

Biography

Mountford is originally from Holywood in Northern Ireland. She was educated at the voluntary grammar school Strathearn School in Belfast and at Girton College, Cambridge.

Mountford has been a non-Executive Director of Amstrad plc since 22 September 1999. She also has many years of corporate law experience as a law firm partner at Herbert Smith (from which she retired in March 1999). She is also a non-Executive Director at Georgica plc.

Mountford believes that her Northern Irish background has helped her career, saying: “I think coming from Northern Ireland gives you a lot of basic level-headedness and stands you in very good stead. A lot of what’s required is a common sense approach, much of business depends on that actually.”

Mountford is studying for a Ph.D in papyrology at University College London. She chairs the board of governors of St Marylebone, an inner-London Church of England Comprehensive School.

Mountford is also a trustee for the Bright Ideas Trust. BIT was set up by the first Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and helps young people start their own business.

TV appearances

From 2005 to 2009 Mountford was one of Lord Sugar's advisors in the UK version of The Apprentice television show, a role with which she achieved increased public popularity. Mountford also took part on the panel in The Apprentice - You're Fired on 27 May 2009 for the first time, during which she hinted that Lorraine would not make the final.

In June 2009 Mountford announced she was leaving the show at the end of Series 5 in order to concentrate on her PhD studies at University College London (UCL). She will be replaced for Series 6 by businesswoman Karren Brady.

See also

• Nick Hewer
• Lord Sugar