The University of British Columbia is grateful for Ken and Jean Finch’s extraordinary leadership and many generous contributions to their community through volunteerism and philanthropy.
The Finch family has deep roots in the Okanagan, reaching back five generations. A UBC alum, Ken graduated in 1968 as a structural engineer. He joined Permasteel Engineering as chief engineer and later became president and then chairman of KalTire, Canada’s largest independent tire dealer and one of North America’s largest commercial tire dealers. His wife, Jean (née Foord) is a director of the Foord Family Foundation and has volunteered with numerous organizations in her community over the years. Both of their daughters are UBC alum.
Ken and Jean are committed to enriching their region through gifts to health and environmental organizations, and to enhancing educational opportunities for UBC Okanagan students. In 2014, they established the Finch Family Student Awards, and in 2016, the Finch Family Endowment for Aboriginal Programs. To date more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students have benefited from their generosity. Their remarkable vision to invest in students from diverse backgrounds, who will become tomorrow’s leaders, continues to support the sustainable growth and diversity of the region they are proud to call home.