Anne Richards
{{Short description|Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity International}}
{{for|persons of a similar name|Ann Richards (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Anne Helen Richards (born 1964) at World Economic Forum Davos 2021.png
| image_size =
| caption = Speaking at the 2021 World Economic Forum
| honorific_prefix = Dame
| name = Anne Richards
| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE|CVO}}
| birth_name = Anne Helen Finnigan
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|8|7}}{{cite web|author=Sarah Jones |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-01/prudential-names-aberdeen-s-anne-richards-as-ceo-of-m-g-unit |title=Prudential Names Aberdeen's Anne Richards as CEO of M&G Unit - Bloomberg Business |website=Bloomberg.com |date=1 February 2016 |accessdate=28 March 2016}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, UK
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| nationality = British
| education = Royal High School, Edinburgh
| alma mater = University of Edinburgh
INSEAD
| occupation = Vice-Chair, Fidelity International
| spouse = {{marriage|Matthew Richards|1991}}
| children = 2 sons
| awards = 40px Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
40px Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
}}
Dame Anne Helen Richards {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE|CVO|FRSE}} (born 7 August 1964) serves as Vice-Chair of the investment management company Fidelity International, having been CEO from 2018 until 2024.{{cite web|author=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/55e926d0-917b-11e8-bb8f-a6a2f7bca546 |title=Anne Richards quits M&G to become CEO of Fidelity International |website=Financial Times |accessdate=26 July 2018}}
Previously, Richards served as chief investment officer of Aberdeen Asset Management and chief executive officer of M&G Investments.
Early career
Born in Scotland to Michael Finnigan, she was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh.
After graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a First-Class Honours degree (BSc) in Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Richards began her career with a research fellowship at CERN. She subsequently worked for Cambridge Consultants, before pursuing further studies in France at INSEAD graduating as MBA.{{cite web|url=http://www.aberdeen-asset.com/aam.nsf/davos2014/speakersbioannerichards |title=Anne Richards - Davos 2014 - Aberdeen Asset Management |website=Aberdeen-asset.com |accessdate=28 March 2016}}
City career
Richards worked initially as an analyst with Alliance Capital, before moving to JP Morgan, working in portfolio management, and then moving on to Mercury Asset Management, and later MLIM. In 2002 she took up the post of Chief Investment Officer and Joint Managing Director of Edinburgh Fund Managers plc. When EFM was taken over by Aberdeen Asset Management in 2003, Richards continued in her role as Chief Investment Officer.
It was announced in February 2016 that she would be taking over from Michael McLintock as chief executive of M&G Investments from June 2016.
In July 2018, it was announced that she would leave M&G Investments, following the merger to become M&G Prudential (and subsequent demerger from Prudential UK), to join Fidelity International as chief executive officer.{{Cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-27/richards-quits-as-m-g-investments-ceo-before-prudential-demerger | title=Anne Richards Quits M&G to Head $414 Billion Money Manager | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=27 July 2018 }}
In 2021, Richards led development of a range of flexible working options at Fidelity International, following the COVID-19 lockdown.{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Jack |title=Fidelity International Asked Its Employees To Choose What Work Options Are Best For Them |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/08/19/fidelity-international-asked-its-employees-to-choose-what-work-options-are-best-for-them/ |website=Forbes |access-date=20 August 2021}}
In November 2023, Richards announced her intention to step down from full-time executive life, and transitioned to the role of Vice-Chair of Fidelity International in early 2024.{{Cite web |last=Gyftopoulou |first=Loukia |date=November 20, 2023 |title=Fidelity International CEO Anne Richards Unexpectedly Steps Down |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-20/fidelity-international-s-richards-quits-ceo-job-after-five-years |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=www.bloomberg.com}}
Non-executive positions
Richards served as Vice-Convener of the Court of the University of Edinburgh (2014–20) and is a former director of both the Esure Group plc and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
She is a member of the US-based Board of Leaders of 2020 Women on Boards, which works to increasing the proportion of women on corporate boards.
Richards chaired the CERN and Society Foundation Board from 2014{{Cite web|url=https://home.cern/news/opinion/cern/helping-cern-benefit-society|title=Helping CERN to benefit society|website=CERN|language=en|access-date=2020-03-16}} until 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/page/our-people|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230224604/https://cernandsocietyfoundation.cern/page/our-people|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-12-30|title=Our People {{!}} CERN & Society Foundation|date=2019-12-30|access-date=2020-03-16}}
Fellowships and honours
File:Star Knight Commander of the British Empire.jpg breast star]]
A Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (FCSI), in March 2016 Richards was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), Scotland's national academy for science and letters.{{cite web |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1200_2016ElectedFellows.html |title=The Royal Society of Edinburgh | 2016 Elected Fellows |website=Royalsoced.org.uk |accessdate=28 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008113046/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1200_2016ElectedFellows.html |archive-date=8 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}
Appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2014, then Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015, she was promoted Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for "services to financial services, women, education and science".{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B8|date=12 June 2021}}
Admitted to the freedom of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, Dame Anne was named on Fortune
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Fidelity Investments}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Anne}}
Category:People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:British chief executives of financial services companies
Category:British women chief executives
Category:Businesspeople from Edinburgh
Category:Electronics engineers
Category:Scottish women in business
Category:Women chief executives
Category:Chief investment officers
Category:Scottish chief executives
Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order