From Yavneh to the boadroom: Jewish candidate takes on The Apprentice

A former Yavneh College pupil and past president of the University of Manchester’s Jewish Society is among the candidates hoping to become Lord Sugar’s next business partner on this year’s The Apprentice, it can be revealed.

Lawrence Rosenberg, a 27-year-old public relations specialist from Watford, Hertfordshire, will appear in the BBC show’s landmark 20th series, which returns to screens later this month. The fresh cast of hopefuls will compete for Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment.

Already recognised as one of the PR industry’s rising stars and named in PRWeek’s 30 Under 30 in 2024, Lawrence is heading into the boardroom with a clear mission: to convince Lord Sugar that public relations is long overdue a digital overhaul.

His business plan centres on reinventing PR for the modern era to “supercharge PR professionals, not replace them” by “delivering smarter, faster, and more transparent PR through intelligent automation, without losing the human touch that drives meaningful media outcomes.

“PR is one of the only major sectors that hasn’t undergone a meaningful tech-led transformation,” says Lawrence. “I believe it’s essential that the person leading this change focuses on improving people’s jobs, not eliminating them altogether. PR is about people, and I’m passionate about preserving that.

“My business plan isn’t just about building a successful company; it’s about transforming an industry for the better and bringing it properly into the 21st century. If Lord Sugar can see my vision, then I’d love to have him on board.”

Lawrence has held several PR, communications and advisory roles, including during stints at Spreckley Partners and Hemington Consultancy. He is the former director of The Pinsker Centre, where he worked alongside G7 ministers and international leaders.

Today, he runs his own agency, Rosenberg Media, which launched at the end of last year.

Alongside his professional career, Lawrence has a long track record of leadership within the Jewish community. He was a youth leader with JLGB and, in 2017, ran for the presidency of the Union of Jewish Students while studying politics and history at the University of Manchester. During this time, he also acted as a campus representative for Aish UK.

A Spurs fan, Lawrence is a founding member and captain of Beitar Bushey Football Club, which competes in the Maccabi GB Southern Football League.

Asked how those who know him would best describe him, Lawrence said: “The kindest thing anyone has ever said to me was by my wife, who told me, ‘nobody’s ever a stranger to you’. She told me that everyone I meet, I treat them like I’ve known them my whole life. I do think the world has lost a lot of perspective, and being able to treat everyone like a friend goes a long way. Ultimately, people prefer to do business with friends they trust. Nobody likes a transactional corporate robot, which is why authenticity is the best recipe – not just in business, but in general life too.”

The first Jewish contestant on the show was James Max in series one, a chartered surveyor working in investment banking, who got as far as the semi-final. After the show he went on to have a media career, appearing on LBC and Sky News. Alexa Tilley and Samuel Judah took part in series two and telesales executive Michael Sophocles in series four, in 2008. He famously described himself as “a good Jewish boy” but did not appear to know the meaning of kosher when he tried to kosher a chicken by taking it to a halal butcher.

There were four Jewish contestants in series six – Series six – Jamie Lester, Melissa Cohen, Alex Epstein and Joy Stefanicki. Lester, a property developer, made it to the semi-final. Series 13 had two Jewish contestants – Charles Burns, a management consultant from Manchester, and Londoner Elliot Van Emden, who owns his own law firm. Series 16 in 2022 had New York–born, London‑based entrepreneur Amy Anzel, founder of the beauty brand Hollywood Browzer.

Lawrence will be hoping to make an early impact as he joins the 19 other candidates all vying to secure Lord Sugar’s backing. Also battling it out this year are an East London actress determined to “sprinkle some fairy dust into the boardroom” and a global account manager from Harrow aiming to transform his mobile cocktail bar business, Boozy Bar into a national brand.

In a first for the long-running show, the opening episode sees candidates whisked off to Hong Kong – Lord Sugar’s “old hunting ground” – for their debut task. In a surprise twist, Lord Sugar turns up in the boardroom, catching the candidates off guard.

Reflecting on reaching the 20th series, the Amstrad founder described the milestone as “amazing”, adding that the format remains exciting because he is once again “starting from scratch with these people.

“I’m teaching them what not to do and going over what it was like when I first started.”

Lord Sugar has promised plenty of drama this time around, teasing strong personalities, early clashes and “excellent” boardroom showdowns while his adviser Baroness Brady CBE said this series “has everything!

“We’ve got a task that involves Big Zuu, there are tasks that really reflect what’s happening in the business world right now and of course there’s all the usual drama, chaos and tension you expect from The Apprentice.”

For Lawrence, it all adds up to a high-pressure, high-profile test of his confidence, communication skills and ability to think on his feet – qualities he hopes will set him apart as the competition unfolds.

The Apprentice begins on Thursday 29 January at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer