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Tim Richards has more than 35 years of experience in cinema exhibition and extensive international development and operational experience in all major international markets in Europe, South America and Asia Pacific. He is a well-known and highly respected industry commentator in print, radio and television and has passionately supported British and Independent film for the last 35 years.
Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Richards was a Wall Street lawyer engaged in international finance and cross-border mergers and acquisitions while based in London and New York. In 1990, he joined Paramount/Universal’s international exhibition and home entertainment joint ventures, UCI and CIC, where he was responsible for International Business Development in 44 international markets. In 1994, he joined Warner Bros as a Senior Vice President Business Development.
In 1999 Richards left Warner Bros. in L.A. and founded Vue with support from Boston Ventures and opened the company’s first cinema in late 2000 in Livingston, Scotland. In 2003, the company acquired Warner Village Theatres in the UK consisting of 36 state-of-the-art multiplex cinemas. The business became one of the world’s leading cinema operators and the largest privately held cinema operator in Europe through a series of strategic acquisitions and organic growth.
On 30 December 2024, Richards was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his achievements and services to British film and Cinema by His Majesty King Charles III. In February 2021, the British Prime Minister appointed him as Chair of the British Film Institute. In December 2020 and 2021, Variety magazine named Richards as one of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global $2 trillion entertainment industry. The Hollywood Reporter named him as one of the top five entertainment innovators of the year and The Independent named Richards as one of the “20 most influential people in film”. In 2015 him was awarded the Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award for his charitable work.
Richards has held Board positions on a number of UK and European industry Boards including the BFI, BAFTA, the UK Cinema Association, Union Internationale de Cinemas (UNIC), the Global Cinema Federation, Film London, the British Screen Advisory Council and numerous government led industry task forces.