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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Parveen Mann joins UBC as Director, Human Resources
We are pleased to welcome Parveen Mann to the VPFO as our new Director of Human Resources, reporting to Vice-President, Finance & Operations, Peter Smailes, effective June 21.
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VPFO Finance Realignments Following Workday Go-Live
Many members of our VPFO team played key roles in launch of Workday at UBC, and following the success of go-live we are ready to continue modernizing our core business processes, improve how we are structured, and transform the way…
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Leadership one-on-one with our Comptroller, Karamjeet Heer
As UBC’s Comptroller, Karamjeet is responsible for ensuring the university’s fiscal sustainability by providing financial intelligence and strategy. This week she has been featured in the UBC Today Leadership One-on-One interview series.
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Yvonne Kwok promoted to Communications Manager, Facilities and Safety & Risk Services
Yvonne Kwok will be expanding her role as Communications Manager, Facilities & SRS, effective Friday, May 21, 2021.
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Dawn Irmscher joins UBC as Director of Payroll
Dawn brings a wealth of experience in finance, operations, technical, and systems implementation to the university, and most recently served as the Director of Finance for the Sooke School District in Victoria, BC.