Melanie Richards was recently appointed Head of Sustainability and Social Investment at the ANSA McAL Group, responsible for leading and embedding the Group’s Sustainability agenda across all business units, cross functional teams, and territories.

Additionally, in her capacity as Head of Sustainability and Social Investment, she has strategic and operational oversight of the ANSA McAL Foundation and the Anthony N. Sabga Awards – Caribbean Excellence in areas of local and regional community engagement and impact creation.

Previously, a Corporate Sustainability Practitioner and a pioneer in the field, Melanie established CSR Solutions Limited in 2007, a consultancy focused on working with organisations to become more socially and environmentally responsible. She was a founding member of the CSR Committee at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) established in 2008.

In 2011, Melanie was appointed by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) as the Chairperson of the National Mirror Committee in Trinidad and Tobago for ISO 26000 Standard on Social Responsibility and was awarded a Special Service Award in 2014 in recognition of “Special Contribution and Service as Chairperson of a National Standards Committee”.

Melanie also has a deep passion for the work for civil society and has supported various local and regional NGOs, particularly on governance and legal and regulatory compliance.

Melanie attended the University of the West Indies where she obtained a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) Management (Tourism Specialisation), Master of Business Administration (MBA) Marketing, and Bachelor of Laws (LLB). She is also a holder of a Master of Arts (MA) in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Nottingham. She obtained a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Council of Legal Education and has completed ACCA Level 1 and 2.

In 2022, Melanie went on sabbatical to pursue studies in law and was called to the bar as an Attorney at Law in November 2024.