Richard David Arthur Burge (born 5 April 1958) is an independent adviser on international trade, and organisational management and leadership. He is the founder and co-director of ESG Validation Ltd.

Early life and education

Burge was born in Hong Kong. His father Arthur Vincent Burge was a serving officer with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

, and his mother was Elsie (Rae) Burge (née Kimberley). After primary school in Cardiff and north London (where his father was posted), he went in 1969 to

Haberdashers' Adams Haberdashers' Adams is a grammar school for boys aged 11–18 and girls aged 16–18, located in Newport, Shropshire, offering day and boarding education. Current (2021) boarding fees are £12,144 per year and £13,644 per year for overseas stud ...

Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire. Burge went to Hatfield College,

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

from 1977 to 1980, the first member of his family to go to university.

Career

Burge taught biology at King Edward's School, Witley (1980–83) and then went to

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

as a Commonwealth Scholar until 1986. Burge joined the British Council in June 1986 where he served in the Overseas Career Service for ten years. He was Assistant Representative in Lagos, Nigeria until March 1990, then had a series of posts in the UK ending up as Head of Africa and Middle East Operations for three years until September 1995.

Senior appointments

Burge was the first Director General of the Zoological Society of London from 1995 to 1999. He was noted by journalists and the government of London as being responsible for saving the

London Zoo London Zoo, also known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for science, scientific study. In 1831 o ...

from bankruptcy during his time as Director General. He then was given the position of chief executive of the Countryside Alliance under the chairmanship of John Jackson until 2003. He then spent some time in private business working until being appointed as chief executive of Wilton Park (an

FCDO The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign ...

executive agency) from 2009 to 2017. He was then chief executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council until 2019. He was chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2020 to 2023.

Private sector

From 2003 to 2009, Burge had a portfolio of part-time paid appointments. He was Strategy Director for the African Parks Foundation and a Commissioner for Rural Communities. He is the founding partner of ESG Validation.

Non-profit and charity work

Burge has served as a trustee and board member of a number of charities and not-for-profit organizations including the

Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development is an autonomous non-profit institution established by Guyana and the Commonwealth. It "exists to promote the conservation and the sustainable and equitable use of tropi ...

, the Association of Chief Executives in the Voluntary Sector (ACEVO), The Association of Chief Executives (of government executive agencies), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the Council of Durham University (including chair of the University Ethics Committee, Vice Chair of Bridewell Royal Hospital (King Edward's School, Witley), a Commissioner for Commonwealth Scholarships, trustee of the Television Trust for the Environment, and chair of the Global Health Assurance Partnership (based in Geneva), and treasurer of St John-at-Hackney in London. He is currently Junior Warden of the Worshipful Company of World Traders, and has been chair of Council at Hatfield College Durham University for 13 years. He is Churchwarden of the Parish of Kirdford with Plaistow and Ifold in West Sussex.

Political career

Burge is a member of the Labour Party. On 24 March 2022 he stood unsuccessfully for election as a Common Councillor for

Vintry Vintry is one of the 25 wards of the City of London. Located within it is the City end of Southwark Bridge and, adjacent to that, the hall of the Worshipful Company of Vintners, the City livery company for the wine trade. The ward's boundary is ...

ward in the City of London. On 28 May 2024 Burge was one of 120 business leaders who signed a letter expressing support for the Labour Party in the

2024 United Kingdom general election The 2024 United Kingdom general election is scheduled to be held on Thursday, 4 July 2024. It will determine the composition of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, which determines the Government of the United Kingdom. ...

Personal life

He has been married to Karen Jayne Burge (née Bush) since 1980, having met when they were at school. They live in West Sussex and have two children.