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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Upcoming Workday enhancements for June 2024
The Integrated Service Centre (ISC) continually updates Workday to align with UBC’s evolving needs, incorporating feedback and collaborating with different units, faculties and departments. See some of the planned enhancements for Workday Finance, and HR (HCM) and Payroll, that are…
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Museum of Anthropology to reopen on June 13 at 5:00 pm
The MOA at UBC will reopen its doors to the public on June 13, 2024 at 5:00 pm. The space has undergone cutting-edge seismic upgrades to the Great Hall, coupled with the revitalization and reinterpretation of displays of Northwest Coast…
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Telehealth and Data Analysis Renovation | Neville Scarfe Room 273
Construction is anticipated to begin at the start of May on the Neville Scarfe Building Telehealth and Data Analysis Renovation. Rooms 273, 273E and 273F will be reconfigured to provide a suitable space for research. The research aims to interrupt…
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Emergency Preparedness Week is May 5–11, 2024
Join us during Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) to increase our community’s resilience by learning about emergency preparedness. EP Week is a provincial and national event supported by the BC Government and Public Safety Canada. Start by getting informed on…
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Jimmy Gau joins ISC Service Desk as ISC Service Centre Manager
Jimmy joins the ISC Service Desk team on May 1 to work alongside co-Managers, Liam Murphy and Divya Shetty, and Senior Manager, Veekay Padhi. As a former UBC student and coming from his previous role with IRP Student as a…
People of the VPFO
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Pera Hardy joins the Facilities Planning team in Infrastructure Development as Senior Facilities Planner
Pera is a registered architect (AIBC) and LEED Green Associate, Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Her programming, planning, design and construction experience in K-12 schools and post-secondary projects will be very beneficial to facilities planning work on campus.
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Frank Laezza — Get to Know UBC’s new Vice-President Finance & Operations
It would be difficult for anyone to argue that Frank Laezza isn’t willing to go the distance for UBC. Fresh off a flight from Perth, Australia, he quite literally came from the opposite side of the planet to take up…
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Oliver Choo joins as Finance Director, Vice President Research and Innovation
In his new role, Oliver will be responsible for providing strategic financial leadership within the 16 units of the VPRI portfolio. In addition to managing the portfolio budget of $58M, Oliver will support key initiatives that have significant impact on…
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Dimitri Kavouras steps into new role as Subhead Controls Electrician in Building Operations
Passionate about contributing to the UBC community, Dimitri is a current shop steward, previous union delegate, and participant in two apprenticeship committees. He was awarded the Kim Nulty award in 2020 for his contributions and excellence in categories like employee…
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Building a more innovative campus — one project at a time
A powerful duo in the VPFO, Aletha Utimati, a PMP-certified Project Manager and Sandy Sull, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) bring completely different expertise but share a vision for an innovative campus, a passion for collaboration, and the ability to…