Richards will start at Threadneedle on 20 February 2012 and his direct report will be Leigh Harrison, head of equities at the firm.
His role at Aviva Investors was regional head of corporate governance, which he had held since 2003.
Prior to that he was head of corporate governance at Schroder Investment Management.
Richards will lead a team of three and be responsible for the environmental, social and governance research, policy and engagement on behalf of Threadneedle’s Investment team.
Mark Burgess, chief investment officer at Threadneedle, said: "Iain has extensive experience in corporate governance and will work with our investment teams to ensure we continue to maximise shareholder value through robust engagement with the companies we invest in."
