Ann Budge

Ann Budge – An outstanding leader committed to doing what was right for Heart of Midlothian

The agony, the ecstasy of being a Hearts fan. The match day nerves, the walking to the ground, the friends and family, the pubs, the fish bar, the Plaza, the shop. Tynecastle. The warm-up, the Hearts song, the kick off, the cheers, the groans. A week ruined or a week with a warm glow.

All this and so much more. The history, memories and hopes, past family members, youngsters picking up the baton. All wrapped up in maroon and white. Glorious Hearts.

We all know how much it means. We can only imagine what it would be like if this was all taken away. It could have been – and it would have been had not an extraordinary leader emerged when that prospect was very real.

Ann Budge steps down as the chair of our club in December of this year after enabling the saving of the club more than ten years ago. Since then, she has steered it back to its proper place, brought stability and respect, restored the values which the supporters cherish. On a corporate level, her work has been a case study of professionalism, vision, and strategy delivered with absolute integrity. But it has been much more than that. Her commitment to the Hearts community and everyone in it has been passionate and fierce. We have been incredibly fortunate to have had a real champion with the drive and the skills to take the club forward and when necessary to fight our corner.

We are proud that the journey for her began with the Foundation, a relationship that convinced her that this group of supporters were clearly here for altruistic reasons associated only with saving Hearts. Thankfully, she picked up the mantle. And on the platform of her financial and professional expertise, plus the faith and the pledges of the amazing Hearts supporters, she rebuilt a club that was all but broken.

Her list of achievements is long and impressive. First, the club not only exists but has powered forward. On the pitch, European nights and regular Hampden visits. Off the pitch, sell-out stadiums, the growth of the Academy, the development of Tynecastle, the re-building of the Big Hearts charity, the creation of the Innovation Centre, the strong links with the local community, the exemplary management of our finances when serving as CEO, outside investment.

She has been that rare thing, a strong woman leading and making waves in a male-dominated world which is at times populated with individuals who can hold entrenched values and opinions. Ann Budge has risen above that and thrived, her selfless decision-making informed only by what she believed was right and by what was best for Heart of Midlothian.

The Foundation of Hearts is often cited as an outstanding example of what fans can achieve. It – we – can also boast that through this fans’ movement, we helped to bring forward and then worked alongside a leader who leaves a legacy which will never be forgotten as long as Hearts teams run out at Tynecastle. Chroniclers and historians in the future will focus on this period as a daunting but ultimately reinvigorating watershed era for Heart of Midlothian. Their headlines will rightly be dedicated to the person who led us in making this all happen, Ann Budge.