As Finance Partner, Chris Williams has overall responsibility for financial management and reporting across the practice, from payroll to commercial planning for a global business. To this, he brings an open, collaborative approach, working as a trusted partner with more than three decades of specialist knowledge; he also brings the same level of quality and attention to detail to the practice’s financial outlook as the teams do to design. Chris studied Industrial Economics at Nottingham University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant while working at Arthur Andersen in 1992. He joined Foster + Partners as Finance Director in 2007, stepping into the role of Finance Partner as a Senior Executive Partner in 2023. His focus is on future opportunities, understanding risks and driving operational change. Chris provides insight needed to develop the business overseas, balancing the practice’s global operations with the details of tax regulations and currency fluctuations to support the Partnership Board in strategic decision-making. Chris is proud of the diversity, length of service, motivation and mix of experience within the accounts team, who range from a young apprentice to experienced partner. Together, their focus is on helping design teams operate and make decisions more effectively; for example, helping architects visualise financial data more easily, and implementing systems that give them access to more intuitive, accurate information.