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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Updated Credit Card Request Forms in Workday
Financial Operations and the ISC have recently updated two Credit Card request forms in Workday: Credit Card Request | Limit Change and Credit Card Request | Application, to improve clarity and guidance as well as help reduce the number of…
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Upcoming road closures on UBC Vancouver campus
There is a number of road closures on the UBC Vancouver campus due to construction and events in the coming weeks. Please review the details and plan your routes accordingly.
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Continuing as one VPFO under Karamjeet Heer and John Metras’ leadership
Starting June 1, Karamjeet Heer will begin serving as the Interim Vice-President, Finance, and John Metras will become the Interim Vice-President, Operations following the departure of Peter Smailes, former Vice-President, Finance and Operations.
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May 26 VPFO Town Hall Presentation and Slides
In this VPFO town hall, we reviewed the leadership transition plan, looked back on our accomplishments, and learned about our strategic plan together as one portfolio. The town hall recording and presentation slides are now available.
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Preparing for transition in the VPFO
The hand off starts now. Starting on June 1, Karamjeet Heer will be serving as the Interim Vice-President, Finance, and John Metras will be the Interim Vice-President, Operations.
People of the VPFO
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Jenny Black joins UBC Facilities as Red Zone Facilities Manager
Jenny joins UBC Facilities’ Customer Services & Informatics team from UBC Athletics & Recreation where she has been working for the past 9 years as a facility coordinator and facility manager. Buildings in her portfolio have included the War Memorial…
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Jeannie Lee joins Facilities’ Energy & Water Services as Utilities Manager
Jeannie brings in extensive, local knowledge in both private and public engineering sectors focuses on utilities planning, stormwater management, and climate change resilience. Prior to joining UBC, Jeannie was the Senior Engineer in the City of Vancouver, leading their Flood…
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Steven Wong joins Comptroller’s Capital Financial Management & Reporting as Finance Manager in Project Accounting
Steven will be working closely with Capital Planning & Development and Project Services, in Facilities, responsible for overseeing the financial aspects of Facilities projects. This includes project costing, funding, planning, and reporting to support the successful delivery of capital projects…
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Nikki Reiter and Betty Han join the VPFO Project Management Office as Continuous Improvement Program Manager
Nikki joins the VPFO Project Management Office from the Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) – Student, where she served as Acting Associate Director, Transformation & Change Management leading a team of change management specialists to support UBC’s transition to Workday Student.…
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Alan Ehrenholz joins Facilities’ Municipal Services as Municipal Engineer
Alan will help enhance our technical expertise in civil engineering and asset stewardship. Alan’s passion and contribution towards community-oriented initiatives will help strengthen our equity, diversity and inclusion work while balancing the operational and maintenance needs for a resilient campus…