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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Ann Budge a good builder? She's a budge-get expert.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ann Budge
OBE
Born (1948-02-21) 21 February 1948 (age 78)
West Pilton, Edinburgh, Scotland
EducationUniversity of Strathclyde
University of Edinburgh Business School (MBA)
OccupationsBusinesswoman and company director
Known forCo-founding Newell & Budge; chair of Heart of Midlothian F.C. (2014–2025)

Ann Cochrane Cook Wallace Budge[1] OBE (born 21 February 1948)[2] is a Scottish businesswoman and former chair of Heart of Midlothian F.C. She co-founded the Edinburgh IT company Newell & Budge in 1985 and later became its sole owner. The company was sold to Sopra Group in 2005, after which she continued to run its UK operations.

In 2014, Budge provided £2.5 million to finance Hearts' exit from administration and became the first female owner of a Scottish professional football club. During her chairmanship, the club redeveloped Tynecastle Park, became the first Scottish football club accredited as a Living Wage employer and made increased investment in women's and girls' football. Budge transferred the controlling shareholding to the Foundation of Hearts in 2021, completing the planned transition to supporter ownership. She stepped down as chair in December 2025 and became the club's honorary president. Budge was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours.

Early life and business career

[edit]

Budge was born in West Pilton, Edinburgh. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a degree in psychology,[3][4] and later completed an MBA at the University of Edinburgh Business School in 1991.[5]

She began her career as a trainee programmer with Scottish & Newcastle, becoming the first woman there to reach a senior management grade.[4] She later spent around five years with F International, the software company founded by Steve Shirley.[4]

In 1985, Budge and Alison Newell founded the Edinburgh-based IT services company Newell & Budge, which developed bespoke software and computer systems.[6][4] She bought out Newell's interest in 2001. By 2005, the company provided IT systems and integration services to clients in financial services, telecommunications and government, with annual sales expected to reach £38 million.[7]

Newell & Budge was sold to the French IT company Sopra Group in 2005. Budge remained to run the enlarged company's UK operations,[7] stepping down as chief executive at the end of 2008.[3]

After leaving Sopra, Budge held a number of non-executive roles and became active in angel investment.[3] She was an early investor in telecommunications testing company Calnex Solutions and helped introduce the investment syndicate that provided its seed funding in 2007. Budge later served as a non-executive director of Calnex, stepping down in February 2023 after 13 years on its board.[8]

Football

[edit]

In February 2014, Budge was identified as the financial backer of the Foundation of Hearts (FoH) plan to take Heart of Midlothian out of administration. Bidco (1874) Limited, of which she was sole director, was used to provide the acquisition finance.[9] Budge provided £2.5 million towards the takeover.[10] Bidco acquired the controlling shareholding and security over Tynecastle in May 2014. The agreement with FoH allowed Bidco to retain the shares while supporter payments first provided working capital and later funded the transfer of ownership to FoH.[11] Budge became Hearts' unpaid executive chair and chief executive.[12] She was the first female owner of a Scottish professional football club.[13]

Soon after taking control, she appointed Craig Levein as director of football and Robbie Neilson as head coach.[14] Hearts later became the first Scottish football club to become an accredited Living Wage employer, in December 2014.[15]

Hearts decided in 2015 to remain at Tynecastle and redevelop the stadium rather than move elsewhere.[16] Plans for a replacement main stand were announced the following year, with the aim of taking the capacity above 20,000.[17] The stand opened in 2017. The redevelopment eventually cost around £15 million, including £4.5 million contributed by private benefactors.[18] A hotel was later developed within the stadium.[19]

Women's and girls' football also received increased investment. A plan introduced by Budge committed Hearts to six-figure annual spending and brought the women's team and girls' academy into the club's football department rather than leaving them within a separate grassroots or community structure.[20]

Hearts were relegated from the Scottish Premiership after the 2019–20 season was curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Budge was involved in attempts to secure league reconstruction and, after these failed, Hearts and Partick Thistle challenged their relegations through legal proceedings.[21] The challenge was unsuccessful. Hearts later reported legal costs of almost £650,000.[22]

The transfer to supporter ownership was completed on 30 August 2021. Bidco handed its controlling shareholding to FoH after Budge's £2.5 million advance had been repaid, while Budge remained chair. Hearts thereby became the UK's largest fan-owned football club.[23]

Towards the end of her chairmanship, Budge brokered the deal that brought investment from Tony Bloom, owner of Brighton & Hove Albion, to Hearts.[24] Bloom paid £9.86 million for a 29% non-voting shareholding, while FoH retained its 75.1% voting interest. Hearts also entered a formal relationship with Jamestown Analytics, an offshoot of Bloom's Starlizard, for player recruitment.[25]

Budge stepped down at the club's annual general meeting in December 2025 after more than eleven years as chair. Calum Paterson succeeded her, and Budge became honorary president of Hearts.[19]

Recognition

[edit]

Budge was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Entrepreneurial Exchange in 2005.[26] In 2009, she was one of eight recipients of the UK Resource Centre's Woman of Outstanding Achievement award.[3][27] She was inducted into the Entrepreneurial Exchange Hall of Fame in November 2013.[26] At the 2016 Football Business Awards, Budge received the FCBusiness SPFL CEO of the Year award.[28] She was also inducted into the Strathclyde Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs and has been listed as a role model by the Women's Engineering Society.[3]

Budge has received honorary doctorates from Robert Gordon University, Edinburgh Napier University and Heriot-Watt University.[3] Edinburgh Napier awarded her a Doctor of Technology in 2008,[29] and Heriot-Watt awarded her a Doctor of Engineering in 2016.[30]

In 2019, Budge received the Edinburgh Award, a civic award recognising contributions to the city.[3][31] She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours for services to sport and to the community in Midlothian.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Ann Budge register of appointments". Find and update company information. gov.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Who is Ann Budge, the Queen of Hearts". Football Scotland. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Queen of Hearts Ann Budge to receive the Edinburgh Award". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Purden, Richard (March 2026). "Ann Budge OBE: Heart of the matter". CA Magazine. Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Edinburgh Born and Bred". University of Edinburgh Business School. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Is this the original IT girl? ANN BUDGE Told 30 years ago that the future was in computers, she made it big, then sold up for [pounds]30m, hears Paul Rogerson". The Herald. 18 June 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  7. 1 2 Reece, Damian (15 June 2005). "IT founder Ann Budge nets £40m after sale of company". The Independent. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Board Changes". Regulatory News Service. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  9. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (13 February 2014). "Ann Budge revealed as Foundation of Hearts' cash backer". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "Hearts eye administration exit 'by start of next season'". BBC Sport. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Adams, Andrew; Morrow, Stephen; Thomson, Ian (2024). "Accounting, finance and conflict in football arenas" (PDF). Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. 37 (2): 454–479. doi:10.1108/AAAJ-06-2022-5869. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  12. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (9 May 2014). "Hearts: Ann Budge to start at Tynecastle on Monday". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Hearts: Promotion 'not a necessity', says Ann Budge". BBC Sport. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  14. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (12 May 2014). "Hearts: Craig Levein lands lead role as manager Gary Locke exits". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Hearts bosses have funds for players, says owner Ann Budge". BBC Sport. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Hearts to stay at Tynecastle and increase capacity of stadium". BBC Sport. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Hearts begin process for new main stand at Tynecastle". BBC Sport. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  18. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (19 December 2017). "Hearts: Mystery donors contribute £4.5m of stand redevelopment costs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  19. 1 2 McLauchlin, Brian (3 December 2025). "Ann Budge steps down as Hearts chair; analysis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Murray, Ewan (7 June 2019). "How Hearts are tearing up the women's football template in Scotland". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  21. ↑ "Hearts to mount legal challenge over Scottish Premiership relegation". BBC Sport. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  22. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (30 November 2020). "Hearts end year in profit, despite legal costs from SPFL battle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  23. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (30 August 2021). "Hearts: Ann Budge signs over shares to Foundation of Hearts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  24. ↑ McLauchlin, Brian (4 December 2025). "Hearts 'comfortable' with finances as Ann Budge stands down as chair". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Bloom aims to 'disrupt domination' after £10m Hearts deal". BBC Sport. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  26. 1 2 "Hall of Fame 2013 – Ann Budge". Entrepreneurial Scotland. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Pilton gala queen's now Queen of Hearts!". North Edinburgh News. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  28. ↑ "Jimmy Armfield CBE awarded 'Global Football Ambassador' at the Football Business Awards" (Press release). Football Business Awards. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  29. ↑ "Honorary Graduates". Edinburgh Napier University. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Honorary Graduates 1966–present" (PDF). Heriot-Watt University. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Public Honours: The Edinburgh Award". City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  32. ↑ "No. 64940". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2025. p. N10.
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