Claude Littner
| Claude Littner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 May 1949 New York City |
| Nationality | British–American dual national |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | The Apprentice |
| Spouse(s) | Thelma Littner |
| Children | Anthony Littner Alex Littner |
Claude Littner (born 6 May 1949) is a British business executive and the former chairman of Viglen, also known from his appearances on the BBC-produced British version of The Apprentice, interviewing for his former boss Alan Sugar. He became Alan Sugar's aide for the 2015 series, replacing Nick Hewer on the show. He continues to aide Alan Sugar on the 2016 series of the show.
Littner was born in New York City to an American mother and an Austrian-Jewish father, who had fled the Nazis in the 1930s. His father worked as a chemical engineer. The family emigrated to the United Kingdom soon after Littner's birth. He holds joint British and American nationality, although he has stated he would renounce his American nationality if he could afford to do so. Littner is a practising Jew. He speaks fluent French.
After training as an accountant, Littner developed a career as a turnaround specialist. It was in this role that he met Alan Sugar, and agreed to chair a number of Sugar's companies. In the early 1990s, Littner was chairman and chief executive of Amstrad International, Amstrad Spain and Dancall Telecom.
Littner served as: non-executive chairman of Azzurri Communications; deputy chairman of Blacks Leisure Group from August 2008 to July 2009; executive chairman of the international oilfield support services business ASCO from 2004 to 2007; non-executive director of Norton Way Motors Ltd and Myeloma UK.
A non-executive director of Amstrad since June 2007, in 2009 Sugar resigned a majority of his UK company directorships, handing over his former management duties to Littner, including the chairman's post at Viglen.
When Sugar was majority owner and chairman of Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Littner was its Chief Executive from 1993 to 1998. He once almost turned down a request from The Princess Royal for tickets to a game. He resigned his directorship in 2001. Littner bought into Powerleague, a five-a-side football centre operator in 2001. After leading a management buyout from 3i Group in 2003, it floated on AIM in 2006. The company was taken over in 2009 by Patron Capital.
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