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
-
Keeping General Teaching Space doors unlocked
The Learning Spaces team in Infrastructure Development has been busy preparing classroom spaces for the upcoming Winter Session 2022/23 Term 1, and working with Campus Security to ensure General Teaching Spaces remain unlocked to allow faculty and staff the flexibility…
-
Are you prepared for an emergency?
Help increase the campus community’s resilience, emergency awareness and preparedness by joining us on September 6-8. Find our Emergency Preparedness booth on Imagine UBC at Main Mall on September 6, and Ride the Quake Cottage, an earthquake simulator at University…
-
Increasing Collaboration with the Catchbox Throwable Microphone System
The Learning Spaces team recently received a video from the Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) program where students incorporated the Catchbox, a wireless, throwable microphone that supports collaborative and interactive sessions into their presentations this summer. Take a look at the Catchbox in…
-
Begin the Academic Year on Track by Ensuring Your Supplier Is Set-up Properly
This is a reminder that Purchase Orders or Outstanding Invoices cannot be issued or paid without a supplier record in Workday. To avoid procurement and payment delays, please submit your supplier setup and change requests in Workday as soon as possible.
-
Faculty and staff housing targeting Passive House certification opens at UBC
Evolve is a new 110-unit faculty and staff rental building in UBC’s Wesbrook Place neighbourhood. Passive House-certified buildings consume up to 90 per cent less heating and cooling energy than conventional buildings.
People of the VPFO
-
Nicholas Potovsky joins Infrastructure Development as the Accessible Buildings Planner
Co-created with the UBC Centre for Accessibility, this newly created role will help UBC develop accessibility design guidelines for new and existing campus buildings. Nicholas is a registered architect with over 10 years of experience in the design of new…
-
David Sequeira joins Custodial Services as Assistant Supervisor
In his new role, David will oversee the dayshift Custodial Services team and will work out of the Life Building. David comes to us from the Office of the Dean at the Faculty of Education with responsibility for Faculty-wide health…
-
Fabiola Ruiz-Aguilar joins Safety & Risk Services as Safety Advisor, Scientific Diving
In her new role as Dive Safety Officer, Fabiola is responsible for developing, strengthening and growing the Scientific Diving program in compliance with WorkSafe BC, Canadian Association for Underwater Science (CAUS) and CSA Ocean Sciences — after all the earth…
-
VPFO HR team update
Daisy Chan will be going on Maternity leave starting March 2023. During her leave, Kasia Burza will be temporarily promoted to an HR Advisor until September 2024, supporting AVPFO and Treasury. Alysa Garza will be joining as an HR Coordinator…
-
Silvia Magnano joins Treasury as Manager, Treasury Contracts & Real Estate
Silvia comes to us directly from the UBC University-Industry Liaison Office (UILO) where she was a Contracts Officer. Silvia brings both business and legal background to her new role. She was trained and certified as a lawyer in Argentina, where…