Posh pips M&S chief in business poll

Victoria Beckham has beaten Marks and Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose in a poll of inspiring business figures conducted by the business social networking site www.bttradespace.com.

Users of the 350,000 member site voted Beckham, 35, joint third on 11 per cent with lastminute.com founder Martha Lane Fox. The M&S executive chairman came in fourth with nine per cent.

The former Posh Spice has transformed herself from a pop singer into a global entrepreneur with fashion, cosmetic and women’s accessory lines.

Ivan Croxford, General Manager of www.bttradespace.com, said: “Victoria Beckham has proved to be a very shrewd businesswoman with a keen sense of what consumers want.

“She has skillfully combined her celebrity status with a drive and determination which has helped to take the Beckham brand in completely new directions.”

Sir Alan Sugar, the Apprentice star and multi-millionaire founder of Amstrad, topped the poll as the UK’s Most Inspiring Business Figure with 34 per cent. Naked Chef Jamie Oliver was runner-up with 25 per cent.

Croxford said: “The survey choices show how the celebrity and business worlds sometimes overlap. Leading business figures are becoming household names and showbiz personalities are increasingly pursuing business ventures to exploit their star status and enhance their income. Sir Alan Sugar epitomises this trend and is a good illustration of how businesspeople have crossed into mainstream popular culture. People admire how he rose from a humble background and relate to the no-nonsense style he shows on his TV appearances.”

Other celebrities who featured in the poll include: Kate Moss, Myleene Klass and Gary Barlow (all three per cent).