Finance Division - Portfolio Management Foundation

Overview

About the PMF

The PMF is a charitable entity formally distinct from the Sauder School of Business and UBC. The PMF’s primary purpose is to accumulate an endowment whose earnings support teaching and research activities in the Sauder School of Business. It is regulated by the British Columbia Provincial Government and the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that this objective is attained.

The secondary objective of the PMF is the education of the involved students to effectively manage the PMF endowment and train them for capital markets careers; this objective involves the curriculum and faculty of the BCOM program in the Sauder School. So, the Dean of the Sauder School of Business is the PMF President and he is supported by a PMF Board of Directors that is comprised of three Sauder faculty and three senior Vancouver business executives (usually PMF alumni).

PMF alumni, known as Leslie Wong Fellows, are employed in the capital markets in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, and many other locations.

There is an almost even split among graduates between “buy-side” jobs with money managers and “sell side” jobs as traders, analysts or investment bankers.

Program principles

Professionalism and ethical behavior are critical elements of a capital markets career. Reputations, and careers, are built or destroyed by ethical choices made by industry participants.

Our Vision

We bring excellence to finance practice and research, and to the world at large, through inspiring leadership, ethical behavior and exemplary skill.

Our Mission

We collaboratively pursue a diversity of investment experiences that build financial expertise, include a variety of perspectives, and inspire responsible leaders.

Our Values

Rigour
We seek excellence in our work so that we develop expertise and enhance collaborative learning. We put our best efforts towards fulfilling our responsibilities in a timely and insightful fashion.
Respect
We are attentive to how our words and actions affect others. We learn from a diversity of perspectives, experiences and methods. Our team draws on our differences to build strength.
Responsibility
We have a duty to work and learn, individually and together. We honor our commitments and are accountable for our actions. We use good judgement and stand up for our values.
Connection
We learn from personal interactions and meaningful relationships. We build strong ties between students, faculty, and finance professionals to link theory and practice.
Giving back
We appreciate our good fortune and continue a legacy of volunteerism and charitable contribution. We give back knowing others have done much for us.

PMF endowment fund

The $10 million endowment has resulted from donations of about $5 million to the endowment, by firms and individuals, and about $5 million of retained earnings. Earnings are used to pay PMF program expenses, support teaching and research activities in the Sauder School of Business, and the remainder of earnings are retained.

Typically, the endowment is invested:

30% in fixed income investments (Canadian and US government and corporate bonds)
35% in Canadian equities
35% invested in US equities
Specific derivative investments are allowed on a restricted risk exposure basis