I appointed ... who had a couple of O levels to his name, ... He was one of the most able people I have ever come across

Yes, I've come across a few of those as well. That's partly why I think its a really bad idea if one gets into the frame of mind where one starting thinking "She's worked with Dawkins - she must be good" which is where amounts to buying a name to put on a CV gets you. Of course, a good reader of CVs won't fall into that trap ... will they?