To: All UBC Faculty and Staff
Further to recent updates, I am pleased to provide a progress report on some of the organizational changes we have announced over the past few months.
Finance
UBC’s new Vice President of Finance is Andrew Simpson, and he will be starting his work at UBC on June 22. With 25 years of experience as a senior executive leading the finance and operations portfolios at major post-secondary institutions in New Zealand and Canada, Andrew’s depth of knowledge and proven ability to innovate and stimulate growth will make him a strong member of UBC’s senior management team. For more about Andrew, visit: http://news.ubc.ca/2015/04/17/ubc-names-new-vice-president-finance/.
In addition to being responsible for the areas of Finance, Treasury and Risk Management, Andrew will oversee our relationship with the UBC Investment Management Trust and UBC Properties Trust. We look forward to welcoming Andrew to his new role at UBC next month.
At the same time, it is important that we acknowledge and thank David Farrar for his willingness to assume the Finance portfolio responsibilities, in addition to his own, since last September. We are grateful for his leadership of the Finance team and processes that have enabled us to have an approved budget for 2015/16 and completed year end for the past year.
External Relations and Communications
Our search for a new Vice President of External Relations and Communications is now underway. In addition to capturing responsibilities of the previous Communications and Community Partnership portfolio related to government, community and corporate relations; public affairs, communications and marketing; ceremonies and events, the role is being expanded to include:
- UBC Campus and Community Planning
- an integrated communication model across the central administration
- establishment of a welcoming “gateway” to facilitate relationships with external stakeholders across a range of important areas including innovation, experiential learning, continuing and professional education
The new Vice President will also be a member of a new Executive Committee that will be established to help support and guide UBC Varsity Athletics in collaboration with the Vice President Students and Vice President Development and Alumni Engagement.
A Search Committee has been established to assist our work in the coming months. Here is a list of members:
- Louise Cowin, Vice President Students
- Adriaan de Jager, Executive Director, Government and Corporate Relations
- David Gillen, Professor of Transportation Policy at Sauder
- Lina Gomez, former UBCSUO Chair, current President of UBCSUO Model United Nations Club
- Arvind Gupta, President (Chair)
- Jane Hutton, Director, UBC Robson Square
- Linc Kesler, Senior Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Affairs
- Carolyn Labun, Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Applied Science, School of Engineering
- Fiona MacFarlane, UBC Board of Governors
- Barbara Miles, Vice President Development and Alumni Engagement
- Shirley Nakata, UBC Ombudsperson
- Jenna Omassi, AMS VP Academic & University Affairs, Member of UBC Vancouver Senate
- Nicole Udzenija – Director of Campus Initiatives, UBCO
- Rickey Yada – Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
- Mary-Lynn Young, Associate Dean of Arts
For more information on the position and how you can suggest candidates, visit: http://pfmsearch.com/executive-opportunity/the-university-of-british-columbia-vice-president-external-relations-communications/. As always we look forward to your feedback.
Arvind Gupta
President and Vice-Chancellor