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Ann Budge

Scottish businesswoman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Ann Cochrane Cook Wallace Budge[1] (born 21 February 1948) is a Scottish businesswoman and company director.[2]

Career

Budge graduated with a psychology degree, and became the first woman appointed to a senior position in Scottish & Newcastle after starting her career there as a trainee programmer. After leaving F International – now Xansa – Budge set up business working from home, and teaming up with Allison Newell in 1985, launched Newell & Budge, which specialised in making bespoke software and IT systems.[3] It was sold to the French IT company Sopra Group for a reported £30 million, and Budge became a chief executive.[3][4]

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Recognition

Budge was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Entrepreneurial Exchange in 2005[5] and was then inducted into the Entrepreneurial Exchange Hall of Fame in November 2013.[6][7] She is listed as a role model by the Women's Engineering Society.[8]

She is an honorary graduate of Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University.[9]

Football

Budge was disclosed as being the sole director of BIDCO 1874, a consortium trying to buy Edinburgh-based football club Hearts out of administration, in early 2014.[10] A majority shareholding in the club, which was previously owned by Lithuanian businesses run by Vladimir Romanov, was sold to BIDCO 1874 in May 2014.[11] Budge made several changes at the club immediately after taking control, including the appointment of Craig Levein as director of football and Robbie Neilson as head coach.[12][13]

In 2016, Budge was awarded the Scottish Professional Football League CEO of the Year award.[14][15]

On June 30th 2025, it was announced that Budge would step down as Chair of Hearts in December after 12 years of business association with the club.

References

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