Welcome to the new members of our Transformation & Strategy Team

I’m pleased to share that the VPFO’s Transformation & Strategy division is coming online this summer with the addition of three new team members. Under the leadership of Executive Director Leena Mahasen, who joined us earlier this year, the Transformation & Strategy team will work to advance UBC’s financial maturity and lead a variety of transformation initiatives aimed at modernizing processes and aligning our work with the organization’s strategic goals.  

Joining Leena on August 5 will be Entela Ifti as Associate Director, Finance Strategy & Decision Support; Shabda Ghimere as Transformation Manager, Finance; and Jason Li as Senior Specialist, Digital Transformation.  

Many of you will know Entela from her 13 years with the FP&A team. Entela’s deep experience with data analytics, UBC’s annual budget process, the multi-year forecast initiative, and her extensive knowledge of Calumo will support her in leading the transformation analytics team. Entela holds a CPA, CMA designation, and we look forward to her strategic financial leadership in this role.  

Shabda Ghimere is also an experienced VPFO team member, currently serving as a Senior Financial Analyst with the Treasury division. A CPA whose experience includes audit and compliance work with Deloitte, Shabda is joining the team as Transformation Manager, Finance, which will see him will leading and executing initiatives to optimize financial accounting processes and related systems impacting the entire university.  

Jason Li is joining the Transformation & Strategy team as Senior Specialist, Digital Transformation. Coming to UBC from KPMG, where he led multiple digital and operating model transformations for fortune-500 companies and large public organizations, Jason is a UBC grad with a Master of Business Analytics and a Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business. He has also worked with UBC via KPMG on numerous engagements. 

Please join me in welcoming this new team into the portfolio. I look forward to working with them to drive transformational change that will support our people and contribute to the long-term sustainability of our university.   

Frank Laezza

Vice-President Finance & Operations