Finance Conference 2025

2025 Finance Conference Opening Session

Join Simon Boddie, Chief Financial Officer, Charlotte Taylor, Director of Financial Planning, and Katherine Gardiner, Director of Finance Operations, as they kick off the 2025 Finance Conference. 

This session will touch on the current Financial Landscape and financial sustainability at Oxford before diving into an update on the People and Finance Service Transformation Programme. 

Delivering Value for Money

Achieving value for money is about securing the optimum balance of cost, quality, risk and sustainability. Join the Purchasing department to learn more about how you can deliver value for money from local expenditure and when engaging with them on larger scale projects. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear briefly about the University’s new source to contract solution which will help in the identification of value for money opportunities in the future. There will be time to ask the team questions.

Improving Research Finance Management: Tools, Processes and Collaboration

Join the Research Finance Management Improvements Programme (RFMIP), Research Services and Research Accounts to hear about how they are collaborating with departments and divisions to improve research finance management tools and processes. Learn more about recently introduced changes, and how you can share ideas for future improvement. There’ll be a chance to ask questions.

The University's Tax and VAT landscape

Hear about the latest tax developments shaping the University's financial landscape. This session will cover updates on imports, HMRC’s evolving approach to research contracts and key insights from recent international policy changes — including highlights from the Budget.

Finance Careers: Pathways and Possibilities

Curious about where a career in finance can take you? This session explores the diverse routes, roles and real-life stories that make up today’s finance profession. Hear from colleagues across different divisions and departments as they share their experiences, challenges and lessons learned along the way. Whether you are just starting out or looking to take your next step, join us to learn about real life experiences and potential career pathways.

AI and Finance: Finding What Works

AI and automation are changing the way we work in finance. This session unpacks the types of AI tools Oxford is adopting and how AI developments tie into the People and Finance Service Transformation Programme (PFST). Hear from people who are using AI in finance and find out about opportunities to learn more.

Finance Clustering: A Shared Experience

The departments of chemistry, earth sciences and materials have recently shifted to a ‘finance clustering model’– bringing people and expertise together to work more collaboratively. In this session, colleagues from the cluster share their experiences, discuss lessons learned and reflect on the positive impact of working as one connected team.

Q&A with Finance Leaders at Oxford

Join members of Oxford’s new Finance Shared Leadership Group (SLG) for this Q&A session. The group will share a short overview of SLGs and explain how the Finance SLG functions. Attendees will then have a chance to ask the panel their questions about the University’s finances. Staff are invited to pre-submit questions ahead of the session.