Chris Freek
Director, Communications & Engagement
Chris leads strategic communications for Finance & Operations across the University of British Columbia. This includes leadership and strategic direction for high-performance teams in communications and organizational positioning, digital strategy and management, and stakeholder engagement and experience.
Known for his warm and collaborative style, Chris helps the VPFO portfolio succeed while strengthening UBC’s brand and reputation. Chris has achieved notable success using his fluency in operations, design, systems, and technology—including multiple national and international awards for his work within the legal, education, health care, technology, and financial sectors.
Chris graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition he holds associate degrees in both Management and Marketing as well as multiple certifications in Conflict Resolution and Communications — including IABC accreditation, PROSCI Change Management Certification, IAP2 certification, and a UBC Sauder Lean Six Sigma Yellow belt.
Contact Information
Finance Leadership Office
Koerner Library 6th Floor
1958 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z2
Phone: 604 827 0641
Email: Chris.Freek@ubc.ca
Leadership vision
“I am a designer, builder and coach who empowers people to move beyond, to achieve a more impactful future than they could imagine on their own. I use influence, collaboration and my personal investment to be the standard bearer of a unified and integrated UBC.”
Chris Freek
Director, Communications & Engagement
Updates related to VPFO Communications & Engagement
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Read more: Our Strategy in Action — Our New VPFO Feature Series
Our Strategy in Action — Our New VPFO Feature Series
To illustrate the vision, values and priorities that animate our Strategic Plan, the VPFO has launched a quarterly story series that looks at the connection between people on our VPFO team, and how their individual efforts enable us to collectively…
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Read more: ELIMINATING BANK DRAFTS AS A FORM OF PAYMENT AT UBC
ELIMINATING BANK DRAFTS AS A FORM OF PAYMENT AT UBC
This summer, UBC’s Treasury department and the Accounts Payable unit in Financial Operations initiated a pilot project to move vendors requesting bank drafts to another payment method – with great success.
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Read more: Extension to IRP Workday Timeline
Extension to IRP Workday Timeline
The Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) governance conducted the first of three planned program readiness reviews on October 31. Following this review, a recommendation was issued to the Board of Governors to extend the timeline to ensure the successful implementation of…