A message from Peter Smailes, Vice-President Finance & Operations
Following approval from UBC’s Board of Governors, I am pleased to share that I will be adding a new Associate Vice-President role to the VPFO. The AVP Finance & Operational Excellence will co-lead the financial management of the university, in concert with the Comptroller and the Treasurer, and co-lead the vision and strategic direction for the new Integrated Service Centre (ISC) with the Chief Information Officer.
They will also lead a team of directors responsible for the university’s departments of Financial Operations, Operational Excellence, and the new ISC.
To support us in recruiting for this important position, we have retained Leaders International Executive Search. Full information about the position is available on their website and the search will be supported by a senior cross-campus search committee.
To help us maintain momentum, Trish Pekeles has agreed to step forward as acting in the new AVP role until the search committee completes their work. Trish has a diverse background in both the public and private sector, and has been serving as the Executive Director of Financial Operations at UBC since June, 2016.
These changes will prove to be crucial for the execution of our portfolio strategic plan and will be instrumental in the successful operationalization of the IRP and realization of the operational gains of our investments.