Carolyn Kepcher (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Carolyn Kepcher (born January 30, 1969) is an American businesswoman, perhaps best known for her regular appearances on the NBC television program The Apprentice. She was formerly the Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Manager for the Trump National Golf Club. Before her career with Trump ended in August 2006, she monitored the progress of the contestants on the program and assisted Donald Trump in determining who should be fired.

Career

Kepcher began her foray into business by selling Avon Products door-to-door. Following high school she took a job as a waitress at a Manhattan restaurant, and ultimately attained the role of manager. She learned teamwork attending Mercy College in nearby Dobbs Ferry on a volleyball scholarship. She graduated with a marketing degree. Despite having little experience, in 1992 Kepcher secured a position as sales and marketing director of a golf club outside New York City. Her primary responsibility was to prepare the property for bank auction, where it was eventually sold to Trump. Kepcher's ideas on how best to use the property impressed him, and he hired her as director of sales and marketing in 1994.

After four years in this capacity, she was named interim general manager after then general manager Karl Hofer was ousted from the organization. Her effective management skills convinced Trump of her ability to lead and he later named her the Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of the Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, New York, and subsequently the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, overseeing over 250 employees at each location.

In 2004, she wrote a business book Carolyn 101: Business Lessons From the Apprentice's Straight Shooter (ISBN 0-7432-7022-3) based on her business experience. The book went to #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Post-Trump career

On August 31, 2006, Kepcher's employment at the Trump Organization ended. According to sources who spoke to The New York Post, Trump felt that Kepcher's newfound celebrity status had kept her too busy with speaking engagements and endorsements to focus on her responsibilities for the Trump organization. Kepcher was replaced on The Apprentice by Ivanka Trump, beginning with Season 6.

Following her departure from the Trump organization, Kepcher became co-founder and CEO of Carolyn & Co., a company created for the purpose of "providing a broad array of services and assistance to career women." The company's website is www.WorkHerWay.com

On November 28, 2006 Carolyn was hired by Microsoft to star in a new reality show, Ultimate Challenge, to find the next best small-business venture. She was to be one of three judges. The contest winner would get $100,000 in seed money, a storefront or other business space in Manhattan rent-free for a year, and software to help get their business started. The pilot show was never completed.

In January 2007, Kepcher provided management skills to the nonprofit world through an affiliation with Graham-Pelton Consulting, Inc., a national leader in fundraising and nonprofit management. Since 2007, she has been a career advice columnist with the New York Daily News.

In 2009, Kepcher was a contributor to FOX Business.

In 2010, Kepcher was the recipient of the prestigious Toastmasters International Golden Gavel award for Excellence in Communications and Leadership.

Also in 2010, Kepcher was the winner of the Stevie Award for Women in Business in the category of "Women Helping Women." She was also nominated for "Mentor of the Year" and "Website of the Year" and received the Stevie Finalist Award for both categories.

Kepcher is still highly regarded in the golf industry, acting as a consultant. She serves on the board to the Back Nine Network.

Personal life

She has two children, son Connor and daughter Cassidy, and lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

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