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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University Boulevard bus loop road detours
Due to three projects under construction simultaneously—School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) Building, Gateway Health Building, and a utility steam tunnel repair, the University bus loop will be closed starting April 19 to May 1, 2022. Please plan your route accordingly.
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Watermain repair on 16th Avenue in the University Endowment Lands (UEL)
The University Endowment Lands will be completing an emergency repair on an incoming watermain on 16th Avenue. UBC Facilities will support this work from April 20th – 22nd, 2022 by switching over our campus water feed, once the repair commences.
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Partial closure of Engineering Road until June 15
Engineering Road on UBC Vancouver campus will be partially closed from April 19 to June 15 due to repairs to the bridge connecting the Macleod Building and the Brimacombe Building.
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Thank you
As many of you now know by way of yesterday’s broadcast email from President Ono, I am leaving UBC at the end of May to take on the role of VP Administration at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. I want to share…
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Agronomy Road closure between Wesbrook Mall to Health Sciences Mall
Crane activity is scheduled on April 7, 2022, as part of the boiler replacement project for the existing low-pressure steam system serving the Life Sciences Centre and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building’s humidification load. During this work, Agronomy Road between Wesbrook Mall…
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.