Gilles Lpine named UBC senior athletics director

New UBC senior athletics director GillesLpinethinks tapping into Vancouver's corporate community is key to turning UBC into a university sports juggernaut.

"Here in Vancouver the potential is incrediblewith business," said Lpine after being introducedon the Point Grey campus.

Lpinejoins UBCafter a 12-year tenure as Director of Excellence at Laval University in Quebec City.

His resum includes organizing four Vanier Cup Canadian university football championships, including last year's game which was held at Laval andwon by UBC.

In fact, the 2015 Vanier Cup is where UBC board of governor and football alumni Dave Sidoo first started pursuing Lpine for the job.

UBC hopes to host a VanierCup in the near future.

Lpinesaid he will alsofocus on bringing more alumni support and funding for the 24 varsity teams.

"Alumni will help us if they trust the system," he said. "To trust the system...I promise them we'll take care of academics, we'll take care of ethics.And when we host events they'll be great. And we'll perform too."