This is an election of two UBC Faculty Pension Plan members to serve as trustees for the Plan for a four-year period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023.
There are two ways in which you can vote. Faculty members with a Campus-Wide Login (CWL) username and password can vote online through the WebVote system. Those who do not have a CWL are asked to submit a paper ballot. Please follow the instructions below:
Polls close at 4:00 pm on Monday, November 18, 2019. All online votes and paper ballots must be received by that time.
Vote Online
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Note: To vote online you must have a Campus-Wide Login (CWL) at UBC. If you do not have a CWL, please use the paper ballot method outlined below. If you have forgotten your CWL username or password, please go to: https://www.myaccount.ubc.ca/myAccount/ |
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or
Vote by Paper Ballot
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Download and fill out the paper ballot and return it by mail to UBC Elections Services (address information on form) or scan and email to elections.information@ubc.ca. |
Candidate Statements
Martin Comyn
I have been a member of the UBC Faculty Pension Plan for over 40 years and worked as a research scientist at TRIUMF for 35 years. I have always taken a keen interest in its affairs, its evolution as pension laws have changed, and the performance of the various fund options. I have also attended numerous seminars and the annual forums.
Now as a deferred member, a group which comprises a quarter of the membership, I am extremely interested in the long term stability and growth of the various funds. When neither contributing nor withdrawing from the FPP, one gains a much clearer picture of the performance of the funds over the short and long term. The degree of volatility is not always evident in the published fund performance numbers which are based solely on the unit values recorded on the last business day of the month.
I think that it is important for the UBC FPP trustees to come from a variety of disciplines in order to broaden the scope of discussion and to pose probing and perhaps unorthodox questions. I feel that my background provides me with the analytical skills and attention to detail to be able to fulfill this role.
If elected, it would be a privilege to exercise due diligence in helping to ensure the continued financial health of the FPP, its prudent management, the maintenance of low fees, and the continued search for new features and offerings of benefit to the fund members in an era of rapidly changing world financial markets.
Robert Heinkel
I have been a UBC Faculty Pension Plan (UBCFPP) trustee for more than 25 years, including being Vice Chair of the Board for many of those years, and I would greatly appreciate continuing my contribution to the oversight of your savings.
I have extensive involvement in both research about, and the actual practice of, investment management. Besides teaching a course on portfolio construction and management, I have published academic research regarding money management, and I have extensive experience with overseeing other endowments (currently 4) both within and outside of UBC. I am quite familiar with our current group of about 10 investment managers and I know a much larger group of potential managers I have encountered over the last 25+ years.
The UBCFPP faces a challenging financial environment, but the trustees are firmly focused on ensuring that our members can look forward to financial security in retirement, and achieving that goal with the least amount of risk. We are also very aware of the costs we incur to manage and administer your savings, and we strive to keep these costs at or below other similar plans. We also strive to provide the best personalized service to you when the need arises. We feel we have outstanding staff available to support you when the need arises.
Thank you for your support.
Allan Tupper
I have been at the University of British Columbia since 2002 when I came from the University of Alberta as Associate Vice President (Government Relations), a role that taught me a great deal about UBC’s operations. I moved to the Department of Political Science in 2007 as Head making new friends and contacts in many Departments and Faculties. I now teach full time and have recently been very involved in developing and teaching in UBC’s new Master of Public Policy in Global Affairs.
I am applying to be a Trustee for several reasons. First, I realize the importance of the Faculty Pension Plan for its members and for UBC’s capacity to attract and retain excellent faculty. I will work hard to represent the Plan’s members and to contribute to the careful use of fund assets. I will take very seriously my obligation to exercise, “care, diligence and skill” when dealing with the pension plan which is an integral piece of its members financial wellbeing. Second, I am interested in governance and would like to contribute to thinking about how our Plan can respond positively and responsibly to members’ changing expectations and needs. In this vein, I realize and value the Plan’s emphasis on strong communications with its membership. Finally, I am very interested in how public policy increasingly shapes pension plans and personal financial planning and hope to share my expertise in this area.
Questions
Please contact elections.information@ubc.ca if you have any questions.