
The Apprentice (2009)
In 2009, the young and bright Siadatan found herself on one of the UK’s most obsessively watched TV shows, Alan Sugar’s, The Apprentice. She details an odd moment during the early part of the competition before the cameras started rolling…“When they got us down to the final seventy or so people, we were asked to line up in order of how much we were paid in our current jobs,” says Siadatan.“We had to explain to the group why we had placed ourselves where we had,” she continues. “I explained that I had put myself at the back because I was only a waitress, trying to make a living.”
Beating Kate Walsh, the corporate threat
Working with Alan Sugar

“With Sugar, there’s no lip-service. He won’t be fake to you just in case he needs you in the future.”Other presumptions were challenged too, “this was my first job working for other people, so it was always going to be different,” says Siadatan. “It operated more like a family business, Lord Sugar is the chairman of the board, and his sons help run the respective businesses, including Amscreen.”
Getting headhunted by James Caan

“I enjoyed watching James in action. He would assess the credentials of the company, as well as the credentials of the person pitching.”
Her new role in financial services
In 2016, Siadatan made her latest sector transition as Head of Marketing at a fintech firm. “Our mission at Dynamic Planner is strong,” says Siadatan. “We want to ensure that investors are invested in funds that are most appropriate for them, it’s an area of financial services that has been under a dark cloud for some time.” “We’re focused on making sure that advisers and asset managers are providing the right products for their customers apart from what is going to make them the most money. In short, we’re making sure that investors are treated fairly by the system. I see that as both impactful and innovative.”Her passion for diversity and inclusion
“Since I’ve joined the business, there are more women employed than ever before, both in senior management and on the board. I’m half Iranian and a woman, so encouraging the growth of a diverse workforce was always important to me,” she says.“We now employ 40% women, which we consider a great statistic as the average for tech companies is 18%.”“When women are looking at different businesses to work for, they look at the website, and especially the team photos. If the people don’t look like them, they’re not going to be enthused about applying, it’s the same for BME candidates,” she says. “But our company CEO was keen to focus on purpose, impact, and diversity from the outset. That’s why I wanted to join the business.” – With that, the Apprentice Star is off to another meeting, continuing her ever-evolving career journey…
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