Penny Richards

Penny Richards is the managing director of The Aspen Institute in the UK. Founded in 2018, Aspen UK is an independent charity which supports and inspires leaders to transform themselves and their society. For over 70 years, the Aspen Institute in the US and globally has encouraged debates and improved arguments through text-based and professionally guided conversations, private seminars and public events. Penny’s exceptional track record includes producing impactful results for international organisations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the BBC. She was recently the executive director of the Institute of Masters of Wine, the wine industry’s only prestigious international global education and membership organisation. In this in-depth conversation, Penny shares starting out in her career with the motivation to “see a tangible change in something and build great relationships;” discusses Aspen and how for over 70 years they have tried to bring leaders together to exchange ideas in a constructive way; and shares the future project of Aspen UK to help build confidence and networks for 250,000 young people a year.