The University of British Columbia Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Pascal Spothelfer as the new Vice President, Communications and Community Partnership. Spothelfer will begin his five-year term starting May 28, 2012.
Spothelfer has extensive international business experience as a management consultant, senior executive and CEO of both privately held and publicly traded companies. From 2007 to 2011 Spothelfer was President and CEO of the BC Technology Industry Association where he has been actively advocating for the strengthening of British Columbia’s knowledge economy.
“We are very pleased to welcome Pascal Spothelfer to UBC,” said Professor Stephen Toope, President and Vice Chancellor. “His breadth of experience and his track record in steering organizations through innovation and change will help to guide and strengthen our university.”
Spothelfer will succeed Stephen Owen. Owen held the position of Vice President External, Legal and Community Relations from 2007 to 2012. Owen returns to his earlier focus on mediation and public policy conflict resolution.
“Stephen Owen has been a highly effective vice president,” said Professor Toope. “He has made outstanding contributions to the University.”
Said Stephen Owen, “The warm friendship and collegiality of faculty and staff, and the exuberance of student life and community engagement make UBC the place to be in higher education in Canada and internationally.”
In his corporate career, Spothelfer has worked in Europe for the Boston Consulting Group and Jenoptik AG, before moving to Calgary to lead the restructuring of NovAtel Inc., which as CEO he then took public. After a year as Senior VP Strategic Development for Teekay Shipping in Vancouver, Spothelfer served for seven years as President and CEO of Spectrum Signal Processing in Burnaby B.C. Most recently, he was President and CEO of the BC Technology Industry Association.
“UBC is a world-class institution that plays an increasingly important role in British Columbia, Canada and globally” said Spothelfer. “I am very excited and privileged to help shape the brand of UBC, connect to communities locally, nationally and internationally, and contribute to UBC’s drive to make a difference in our lives.”
Born in Switzerland, the 51-year-old Spothelfer graduated with a law degree from the University of Basel, where he also completed his PhD in Law. He received his MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
The University of British Columbia is one of North America’s largest public research and teaching institutions, and one of only two Canadian institutions consistently ranked among the world’s 40 best universities. Surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian West, it is a place that inspires bold, new ways of thinking that have helped make it a national leader in areas as diverse as community service learning, sustainability and research commercialization. UBC offers more than 50,000 students a range of innovative programs and attracts $550 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 7,000 grants.