Dame Anne Richards DBE: Why your career is like a river

One of CMI’s most prestigious awards is the Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring leaders who have made an outstanding impact throughout their career. It is only awarded when a worthy candidate has been identified.

This year, we had a winner: Fidelity International chief executive Dame Anne Richards DBE CVO CMgr CCMI, acknowledging her dedication to financial services, women, education, science and ongoing work in embedding inclusive cultures across the workplace.

“My parents instilled in me some basic values: work hard, get a good education, don’t borrow more than you can afford – and stay curious. They have served me well as compass and anchor over the years,” said Dame Anne, who graduated with a degree in electronics and electrical engineering, and went on to accumulate more than 30 years of experience in the asset management industry as an analyst with Alliance Capital before moving to JP Morgan, Mercury Asset Management, Merrill Lynch, Edinburgh Fund Managers, Aberdeen Asset Management and M&G.

“Over the years, I tried to follow that simple premise of working hard, staying curious and being open to new opportunities when they come knocking at the door.”