Ann Budge

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]

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] 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.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[13][14]

In 2016, Budge was awarded the Scottish Professional Football League CEO of the Year award.^[15][16]

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.