Leena Mahasen

Executive Director, Transformation & Strategy

Leena leads the development of a comprehensive financial planning and analysis framework aimed at enhancing financial efficiency, modernizing our financial processes, and ensuring alignment with the university’s strategic goals. She oversees the VPFO’s strategic initiatives, driving change that helps the portfolio progress towards our shared vision of becoming global leaders in service. Leena collaborates with senior leaders across the university to advance a forward-looking, data-driven financial strategy that supports UBC’s long-term vision.  

Leena brings to UBC over 15 years of experience in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), business process reengineering, and strategic planning. Recognized for leading transformative financial initiatives, she integrates technology, people, and governance with business strategy, and her leadership in large-scale system implementations has greatly enhanced operational efficiency and supported long-term business growth. She has a strong foundation in enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation, financial modeling, data analytics, and strategic workforce planning.  She has successfully led multiple cross-functional teams to transformative outcomes while fostering collaboration, enhancing operational efficiency, and carefully managing change. Her work spans across various companies and industries across Canada through consulting firms such as KPMG, Aubea Consulting, and as an “in-house” specialist.  

Beyond technical expertise, Leena excels in cultivating robust relationships with stakeholders, leading diverse teams, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. As a leader, she is dedicated to achieving business objectives while creating a team environment that promotes growth and learning. 

Leena holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Laurentian University and is a certified CPA and CGA. She also has a specialization as a Workday Adaptive Certified Implementation Specialist.