Thank you for joining the “We are the VPFO” team event

On May 31, team members from across the VPFO gathered for an in-person event to hear from our new Vice-President Frank Laezza and to connect with each other across the portfolio’s departments, groups, and services.

Following an introduction and a quick icebreaker, Frank shared some information about himself as well as thoughts and experiences from his first few months. “Our campuses and accomplishments are nothing short of spectacular, and the infrastructure you support is the foundation on which UBC’s academic mission and vision can succeed.” Frank said, recognizing the importance of the portfolio and our collective work at the university. He added, “When you meet the people who are part of this team, you can feel their commitment and their effort.”

Frank shared his reflections on the importance of being connected as a team, and stressed that everyone’s role within the portfolio plays a part in our shared success. He encouraged the team to feel empowered to make change and drive continuous improvement, and to ask the question, “why?” when faced with challenging circumstances.

Frank also shared his priority for the portfolio, which is focusing on “our core purpose — the foundational services we offer to the university.” He added, “If you take one thing away from today, I hope it’s that we have an ocean of opportunities before us, and that by working together as one VPFO and focusing on our core purpose, we can achieve great things.”

Attendees also participated in a teambuilding activity that involved individuals from across all of the portfolio’s teams and departments gathering to form new groups based on relatable attributes and experiences. The first part of the activity asked questions including, “Who speaks a second language?” And, “Who has a green thumb?”

For the second part of the activity, our champions from across the VPFO asked new questions based on our portfolio values of Safety, Respect, Integrity, Accountability, and Excellence. The final question of the day gathered together long-time employees who have been with UBC for over 10, 20, and 30 years, to much applause.

Click on the photos below to view full-size images.