Dr Bryony (Bry) Wakefield is the Executive Director of Research Management & Innovation at King’s College London. She leads the Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID), a dynamic team dedicated to enabling impactful research and innovation for the benefit of society.

In collaboration with colleagues across King’s and our partners. RMID staff work to advance a positive research culture to support all staff to prosper. Bry and the RMID executive leadership team collaborate closely with Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi, Vice President for Research & Innovation, academic leads for research priority areas, Executive Deans, Vice-Deans for Research, Directors of Operations, and Faculty Research Managers.

Bry's role includes overseeing the service delivery model for research and innovation at King’s, in partnership with Faculty and central area leads, ensuring services are aligned to university strategy and operational needs. Areas of focus include continuous improvement and the effective use of technology to ensure sustainable growth.

As Executive Director, Bry sponsors the Research Management Network, an important network that connects research professional staff working across our research community.

Bry reports to Jeremy Cook OBE BEng MSc, Senior Vice President (Operations)/Chief Operating Officer. She is a standing member of both the Professional Services Executive and the University Executive.

With two decades of experience in Higher Education spanning the UK, USA, and Australia, Bry joined King’s in 2024 after serving as the Executive Director of Research Services at the University of Glasgow. Her global experience includes senior research management roles at the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, and a lecturing position at Johns Hopkins University, where she developed and delivered electives for the Masters in Research Administration.

Her career has been driven by a passion for collaborative and innovative approaches to research management, enabling high-quality research and facilitating global partnerships. In 2023, she served as President of the U.S. based National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). She has been a member of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Council and has served on the board of the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), becoming a Fellow of ARMS in 2017. Additionally, Bry is a member of the U.K. Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) and the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA).