STFC Director of Finance
Chris Wrench is Director of Finance at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Chris leads the finance business partnering team supporting STFC in managing its complex programme, ensuring strong financial governance as a member of STFC’s Executive Board.
He is the key interface with the wider UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) finance function and as a member of UKRI finance senior leader’s team also provides cross-UKRI functional leadership.
Chris spent many years with the Ministry of Defence gaining experience across a wide range of finance roles, where he also trained in accountancy qualifying through the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in 2005.
Chris subsequently led development in investment decision capability including training design and delivery and post-project review within defence equipment and support before taking up several financial controller and head of finance roles in IT and submarines.
Before joining STFC, Chris worked in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to establish and lead a commercial finance function working to ensure VFM delivery in corporate IT services delivery.
He joined STFC in 2020 as Head of Finance for Programmes Directorate developing financial planning and governance of the particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics programme.
He is the STFC finance lead on the UK board for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), for which he also represents UK’s financial interests as a Member of the SKAO Finance Committee and supports our broad range of international collaborative projects and facilities governance.
Last updated: 5 September 2023