Mark Affonso leads the finance business partnering team supporting the Science and Technology Facilities Council (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.
Mark studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating MA (Oxon) in 1985. He then trained in accountancy with Price Waterhouse, London, before joining the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), an inter-governmental organisation providing information and research services for agricultural development. Over 18 years with CABI, he gained experience in managing a large portfolio of projects implemented by their international network of research centres in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Progressing through a number of financial and administrative management roles, in 2002 he was appointed Head of Corporate Finance at CABI’s Headquarters in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
Mark joined STFC (then CCLRC) in 2006. He has played a central role in the overall management of the finance function, supporting a wide range of departments across the organisation, including the National Laboratories, Programmes Directorate, Corporate Services and Business and Innovation. He has been intensively involved in systems and process development: leading the implementation of Hyperion and Oracle solutions for planning, budgeting and management reporting, championing the development of the Bid Register for more robust project approval and creating and delivering training courses on finance for non-financial managers.
He is the STFC finance lead on the UK boards for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), currently two of STFC’s largest international collaborative projects.
Mark has a long-standing commitment to STFC’s innovation and campus development initiatives. He has contributed to the Harwell Campus and Sci-Tech Daresbury joint ventures from their inception and serves as a director on the public sector partner boards of both campuses. He is also a director of STFC Innovations Limited, which manages STFC’s spin-out portfolio.
Last updated: 31 March 2022