Part of ANSA McAL’s commitment to a sustainable future through our stated purpose of “Inspiring Better Choices for a Better World” is recognising that economic, social and environmental practices are essential components to driving long-term business success. It is our responsibility to make decisions that positively impact both the environment and society.
With this in mind, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Ms. Melanie Richards has been appointed Head of Sustainability and Social Investment, ANSA McAL Group, effective 1st February 2026. She will report directly to the Chief Legal & External Affairs Officer.
Ms. Richards will be responsible for leading and embedding the Group’s Sustainability and ESG agenda across all business units, cross-functional teams, and geographies. Additionally, in her capacity as Head of Sustainability and Social Investment, she will have 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. Melanie will also engage with external stakeholders, including industry experts and ESG data providers and analysts, to integrate ESG and social impact considerations into investment decision-making processes.
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 obtained a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) from the Council of Legal Education. She is also a holder of a Master of Arts (MA) in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Nottingham.
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. Additionally, 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”.
She has worked with private sector, public sector, and civil society in various aspects of sustainability and was the author of the very first Sustainability Report 2018 for The National Gas Company (NGC) of Trinidad and Tobago, using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards.
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.
Join us in congratulating Ms. Melanie Richards on her new appointment as Head of Sustainability and Social Investment and welcoming her to the ANSA McAL Group.
