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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Reminder for UBC Visa credit cards expiring in November
If you have a UBC Visa card expiring in November, this is a reminder that your card will remain valid throughout the month and will officially expire on November 30. Stay tuned for more updates as the Credit Card Team…
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Protect yourself from the flu: Get your flu shots this fall
Starting October, 2024, Influenza vaccines will be available across British Columbia. The flu vaccines will be booked through the provincial government’s Get Vaccinated system. If you have already registered with the provincial Get Vaccinated system, you will not need to…
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Celebrating our staff who joined the 25 Year Club!
The 25 Year Club honours non-faculty staff members who have 25 or more years of uninterrupted or accumulated service at UBC. This year the inductees for 2024 highlighted many staff members from across our portfolio.
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Don’t feed the clog monster
Every time you flush paper towel, the dreaded clog monster grows, creating an increasingly large clog down in the building’s pipe system. This menacing fiend lurks in our pipes, causing clogs and backups in your spaces. The clog monster leads…
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Metro Vancouver water crews conducting planned maintenance
As part of planned maintenance, Metro Vancouver water crews are working within the City of Vancouver, which may cause turbid water. There is a small possibility of increased water cloudiness in parts of Vancouver (including UBC) during this work. The…
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…