Alumni Spotlight: Femi Richards (MPP 1999)
Femi Richards (MPP 1999) is the Vice President of Compliance and Assessment at Relx where he directs, implements, and manages strategies and practices to ensue Relx maintains a world-class compliance program.
Tell us about life after the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).
After graduation, I worked for a couple years as a senior policy analyst for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency--a small, new federal agency in Washington, DC. This agency oversaw adult probation and parole for close to 15,000 individuals. It was an amazing role that allowed me to help develop effective strategies and approaches to address the complex issue of criminal recidivism. As I contemplated my next career move, I remember reaching out to one of my Harvard professors, Frank Hartmann. He suggested that I consider leveraging my law degree by transitioning from public service to private practice. We discussed how joining a firm would solidify my credentials as an attorney and how the additional income would allow me to eat something other than instant Ramen noodles.
I took his advice and joined a cutting-edge legal practice that concentrated on employment law and corporate diversity counseling. Our practice focused on elevating the diversity performance and profile of corporations facing serious charges of discrimination in employment or other aspects of their business operations. The position was part litigation, part employment law, part crisis management, part strategic communications, and part government relations. After nearly five years in private practice, a former partner from the firm who had moved on to a C-Suite role at an Atlanta-based data analytics company called ChoicePoint called me. She asked me to help her firm address a very public data security incident and recruited me to help build a privacy, security, and compliance organization within the firm. That was in 2006. RELX purchased ChoicePoint in 2008, and I have been with the company ever since.
I currently work within the Global Compliance Department where I ensure that RELX maintains a world-class compliance program by: directing the Company's legal compliance risk assessment process to identify the top enterprise-wide compliance risks; implementing testing and monitoring processes to ensure that compliance controls are designed and operating effectively; and managing best-practice policy governance and quality assurance standards in the areas of anti-bribery, trade sanctions, and record management, among others.
Why pursue a master’s degree in public policy after earning a JD degree?
Good question. Like most young, idealistic law students, I was determined to use my legal education to focus on civil and human rights and save the world. I quickly realized that many of the problems that I wanted to solve were not entirely legal in nature. Issues of inequality and social disadvantage are truly institutional, systemic, and structural challenges. If I wanted to make a difference, I needed to expand the tools in my toolkit. I decided to attend graduate school and pursue a degree in public policy. HKS was an amazing, transformational experience. Where else would I have had the opportunity to engage with world class faculty, meet civil rights icons like John Lewis, or sit in classes with folks who would go on to become military leaders, senior government officials, and academics at leading institutions?
What activities were you involved in at HKS?
By far, my favorite activity was attending the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics. The ability of HKS to convene sessions with luminaries from the world of business, politics, media, and academia is unparalleled, and I tried to attend as many events as I could. When I wasn’t listening to heads of state or titans of industry at the Forum, I enjoyed the simple pleasure of connecting with my classmates over a burger at the House of Blues in Harvard Square or drinks at the Hong Kong Restaurant. Without a doubt, the friendships that I established at HKS have been some of the most impactful and enduring in my life.
Which HKS class, teacher, or experience most impacted you?
Professor Taeku Lee was my favorite professor at Harvard. Shortly after I graduated, he departed for a position at the University of California, Berkeley, but has since returned to Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. A leading scholar on racial and ethnic politics, Professor Lee taught me much more than the lessons contained in the syllabus. Through him, I learned the importance of not being one dimensional. Not only did he teach hardcore quantitative analysis classes like econometrics and linear regression modelling, but he was also equally at ease in seminars focused on identity formation and inequality. He could quote political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville and Jay-Z in the same discussion. Truly a fascinating individual.
What do you find most fulfilling about your career? How have you made a difference?
This may be an unconventional view, but I choose to find fulfillment outside of my career. That does not mean that my job is unsatisfying or lacking in purpose--to the contrary, I really enjoy my job, the people I work with, and the daily intellectual challenges that any compliance professional is likely to face on a given day. But, when I think about a true sense of fulfillment, I think first about my amazing wife of 20 years and our three incredible children. I think about the tremendous opportunities I have been given to be of service to my community. For example, for the past five years, I have served as a politically appointed member of the Montgomery County, Maryland Committee Against Hate/Violence. The Committee’s mission is to eradicate acts of hate and intimidation through community education, advocacy, collaboration, and legislation. The Committee administers a Partnership Fund for the victims of Hate Crimes to help compensate individuals and private institutions for property damage and medical expenses. In addition, the Committee convenes multiple events designed to unite community residents to celebrate our diversity and move us collectively toward a more nonviolent society based on mutual respect.
Additionally, because I have been very fortunate to have had so many high-quality mentors in my life, I have worked hard to return the favor. I have served as both a formal and informal mentor to many young professionals over the years. Most recently, I have supported the T. Howard Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing diversity in media by pairing minority college students with industry professionals. It has been extremely rewarding. In fact, I have continued these mentoring relationships long enough that my former mentees are now mentoring others!
What advice would you offer current HKS students as they consider life after graduate school?
My advice is fairly simple: be unapologetically you. Often when we enter the professional world, we feel a need to contort ourselves to fit the mold of those we see around us. That is a very uncomfortable and unsustainable existence. Rather, I recommend being authentic and faithful to your values. Equally as important, remember that as you navigate the professional world, you should resist the urge to let fear and negative “self-talk” govern your actions and aspirations. Be open to taking risks. Believe in yourself and step outside of your comfort zone. Do something that requires you to stretch your professional skills so you can grow.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
My late father was fond of saying “Celebrate life, don’t postpone enjoyment.” It is a motto that I have thoroughly embraced. The message is simple, but difficult to practice. As a compliance professional, it is easy to be consumed by the perceived enormity of our role and the many crises which occupy our every waking thought. But there are also so many little joys around us and reasons for gratitude. I count my blessings every day, including my health, my family, and the many fortunate circumstances that allow me the ability to live my life.