Welcome to the VP Finance & Operations portfolio
The nine divisions of the VPFO are responsible for the stewardship of UBC’s physical and financial assets, as well as safety and risk management for our university community.
We oversee a $3.98 billion budget, a $3.38 billion endowment, and all facilities on both campuses, as well as managing the university’s relationships with UBC Investment Management and UBC Properties Trust. In all the portfolio’s responsibilities, we are committed to the values of innovation, unity and accountability.

VPFO Strategic Plan 2024–2027
Having a strategic plan gives us a clear path, keeping everyone on the same page. Learn more about where we’re going next and how we plan to get there.
News from the VPFO
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Fly-over video of the New Recreation Centre
UBC Athletics & Recreation recently filmed a fly-over video of the new recreation Centre, which will be located to the North of the UBC Life Building.
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Customer Services & Informatics reporting to Facilities, AVP
To reduce redundancies and expand our lens in working better together as one Facilities team to enable excellence in learning and research, the Customer Services & Informatics (CSI) team led by Kishani Gibbons in Building Operations, will report directly to Facilities,…
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Decommission of the Power House
The new Water Supply Centre is now completed, and the old water mains at the Power House is scheduled to be disconnected between April 9-14, 2021. To facilitate the work, there will be changes to the flow of water in…
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UBC Affirmed with “AA+” Rating from S&P
Credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings reports an expectation that “within our two-year outlook horizon, the university will maintain an excellent market position and demand profile.”
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VCH Vaccination site opens at Pharmaceutical Sciences Building
UBC has entered an agreement with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), enabling them the use of Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (PharmSci) to host a vaccination site, running March 29 – August 2021, for administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible members of the public,…
People of the VPFO
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Ernesto Castano joins UBC’s Financial Operations group as the Associate Director, Procurement
Ernesto will play a vital role in leading the Procurement function to support our community in meeting their needs through the procurement and competitive bidding processes, leveraging Workday and Planon.
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Joan Mar and Entela Ifti step into new positions in the Financial Planning & Analysis team
In their new roles, Joan and Entela will work with the Assistant Comptroller to lead the FP&A team and support our partners across the university. Joan Mar will be joining as Director, Financial Planning & Analysis on June 16, and…
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Susan Johnson steps into her new role as Senior Manager, Privacy and Information Security Risk
In her new role, Susan will continue to oversee the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) process, including major projects such as the Integrated Security Program Student (IRPS) as well as the portfolio of operational PIAs and advisory services.
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Norman Kotze joins the Emergency Management team as Associate, Emergency & Continuity Planning
In his new role, Norman will help lead continuity planning for the Vancouver Point Grey campus. Working with academic units, he will assist in the roll-out of our Continuity Planning Framework and the creation of Continuity Plans for faculties using a…
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Christine Lin joins UBC as Tax Analyst
We are pleased to welcome Christine Lin as Tax Analyst, reporting to Holly Shepherd, Tax Manager effective May 16, 2022. Christine is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with extensive experience in corporate and indirect tax within the oil and gas…