Director General, Finance

Catherine Vaughan

Biography

Catherine Vaughan was appointed as Finance Director General for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in October 2022.

Before joining DWP, Catherine was the Director General and Chief Operating Officer for the Department for International Trade (DIT).

Catherine began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in public sector audit. She is a qualified accountant with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Her subsequent roles have included:

  • Director of Finance and Resources for Brighton and Hove City Council

  • Chief Finance Officer for the South Downs National Park Authority

  • Director of Finance and Business Services at HM Land Registry

Catherine is a member of the Government Finance Function Leadership Group and co-chairs its People Committee. She has also been Non-Executive Director on the Board of England Netball.

Director General, Finance

The Finance Director General is responsible for:

  • leading teams which oversee DWP’s business strategy and departmental planning
  • the allocation of resources
  • financial management and control
  • commercial procurement and contract management
  • security

Department for Work and Pensions

Previous roles in government

  • Director General and Chief Operating Officer
    • 2017 to 2022
  • Director of Finance and Business Services
    • 2015 to 2017