OFP&A Welcomes New Director of Budgets and Planning

After 12 years in the UVA School of Education and Human Development, most recently as its Senior Director of Finance, Chris Peper joined UVAFinance’s Office of Financial Planning & Analysis as the Director of Budgets and Planning.

Chris Peper

According to OFP&A Executive Director Katie Walker, “This position is a key hire for OFP&A. In partnership with the Senior Director of Operations, the Budget Manager, the Director of Cost Accounting & Fixed Assets, and myself, the Director leads the stakeholders through the budget development and implementation processes.”

As a member of the OFP&A team, Peper will help guide the internal budgeting, planning, and reporting efforts for the Academic Division.

"Partnership will be a primary focus with those units to help improve the overall quality of the annual budgets and multi-year financial plans, enhance the quality of the budget conversations with leadership, and optimize process efficiencies in the OFP&A and unit processes,” Peper says.

His first challenge will be navigating and gaining familiarity with the new systems - Adaptive Insights and Workday Financials - and translating that knowledge into planning and reporting outcomes.

“That and helping to ensure that we collectively maintain and grow the strong collaborative element that arose during the FST project amongst the university-wide business units,” he says. “To do my part, I aim to help the OFP&A team engage the various units we serve and familiarize myself with their business and budget structures. I know I have some knowledge and experience that I can lean on, but I will rely heavily on my team and be an active learner and listener, and consistently seek opportunities for unsolicited feedback to deliver reliable service to our units.”

Jokingly he says that the first noticeable benefit to working with UVAFinance is “Parking close to my office and it being more affordable than working on Central Grounds.”

What really stands out to him with UVAFinance is that, “The collaborative process was a critical element of the FST project. As a result, I developed solid relationships with many folks in UVAFinance and gained a better perspective on its day-to-day operations. There is a tremendous assembly of talent within the operation, and I am excited to collaborate, learn, and be part of the team.”

Outside of work, Peper shares that he and his wife Michelle “Are raising three teens in a crazy world, so maximizing those experiences before they leave the nest is our focus.”

He is a big hockey fan and passionate about fly fishing and takes every opportunity to watch a Colorado Avalanche game or tie flies and stalk trout in the rivers of our region.