The Serious Fraud Office confirms its Director will leave at the end of March after 38 years’ service
The Serious Fraud Office has confirmed that its Director, Nick Ephgrave, will retire at the end of March, bringing to a close a 38-year career in public service.
The announcement, published on 15 January 2026, states that Mr Ephgrave will remain in post until the end of March. During this period, an interim Director will be appointed while a formal recruitment process is undertaken to identify his successor.
Mr Ephgrave joined the Serious Fraud Office in 2023 and has led the organisation for two and a half years. Before his appointment, he held senior roles across UK law enforcement, including with the Metropolitan Police, Surrey Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Reflecting on his tenure, Mr Ephgrave said he was proud of the progress achieved during his time at the SFO, attributing the pace of change to the commitment and professionalism of staff across the organisation. He said the momentum created over the past two and a half years would continue to drive the SFO forward.
During his leadership, the SFO pursued a more proactive and faster approach to casework. This included the introduction of artificial intelligence and machine learning to support disclosure practices, as well as the development of a dedicated crypto-asset capability.
Operational results cited by the SFO include charges brought against five men for complex fraud offences connected to the collapse of law firm Axiom Ince, achieved within 15 months of the investigation being opened. The agency described this as the fastest charging decision in its history. More recently, a guilty plea was secured from a company director involved in selling aircraft engine parts with forged documentation, two years after the investigation began.
The SFO also highlighted its continued role in international anti-corruption efforts, including the creation of the first international Anti-Corruption Prosecutorial Taskforce, designed to strengthen operational cooperation between European partners.
Mr Ephgrave has also promoted the incentivisation of whistleblowers to increase referrals and corporate prosecutions. In recent weeks, the Government committed to assessing the feasibility of financial incentive schemes as part of its new UK Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Paying tribute, Attorney General Richard Hermer KC said Mr Ephgrave had modernised the SFO’s approach to tackling serious fraud, bribery and corruption, and strengthened its operational capabilities. He credited the Director’s leadership with securing significant convictions in complex economic crime cases.
The Chair of the SFO Board, Claire Bassett, said Mr Ephgrave’s leadership had transformed the organisation and left it well positioned to build on faster and more effective approaches to delivering justice.