Wendy Richards

Wendy Richards, SHRM-SCP, has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over two decades. Wendy has held various leadership roles in prestigious organizations such as Forbes Human Resources Council, Urban Land Institute, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Baker McKenzie, Royal Bank of Scotland Business, and PwC.

Their most recent position was as the Chief People Officer of the Urban Land Institute, where they led the global people function and oversaw HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, Compensation & Benefits, Global Payroll, Employee Relations, Talent Management, Workforce Planning, Learning & Development, and DEI.

Prior to that, Wendy served as the Regional Head of HR for North & South America, Caribbean, and British Overseas Territories at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In this role, they led a multifunctional HR team supporting 40 countries and territories.

Wendy also had a significant tenure at Baker McKenzie, where they held various positions including People Director, Talent Management Director, and Regional Talent Director. Wendy's responsibilities included driving strategic talent initiatives, leading global projects, and guiding talent projects across the organization.

Additionally, Wendy took a career break to set up and serve as the President & Head of Operations in their family business for a year.

Before that, they gained experience in the financial industry as a Human Resources Business Partner at the Royal Bank of Scotland Business and as a Human Capital Consultant at PwC.

Wendy started their career as an HR professional at Britannic Money Investment Services Limited and Bristol & West, where they held roles focusing on human resources.

Overall, Wendy Richards has demonstrated expertise in various HR functions and extensive experience in leading and implementing strategic initiatives in diverse global organizations.

Wendy Richards, SHRM-SCP, has a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Human Resources - Consulting from London South Bank University. Wendy also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in International Studies from the University of Leeds. Wendy has pursued executive coaching at the Academy of Executive Coaching (London). In addition, they have obtained the SHRM - Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification from SHRM.