John Robinson (d.2019) grew up in East Vancouver where he was a star soccer player and top-scoring basketball player on Gladstone Secondary’s varsity teams. During high school he set his sights on a career in accounting. After earning his Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC, he joined PwC where he enjoyed a 36-year career. He obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1981 and lectured for ten years with the School of Accounting program of the BC Institute of Chartered Accountants.

John was admitted to the PwC partnership in 1991, specializing in Canadian corporate tax planning, international tax planning and merger, acquisition and divestiture structuring. He served as head of the PwC BC Corporate Tax Mergers & Acquisitions practice; as the BC Region representative on the firm’s National Quality & Risk Management Committee and the firm’s Canadian Innovation Committee; and as a lecturer at PwC’s national tax conferences. John was highly regarded by his colleagues for his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, his sense of humour, his good-natured disposition towards fellow partners and junior staff, and his success in identifying and mentoring promising young recruits.

John was humble, straightforward, unpretentious and well liked. A senior PwC partner told him he was one of the most respected professionals with whom he’d ever worked. It’s been said that the only thing a man can finally take with him is the love and respect of his fellow citizens. John can easily claim this distinction.

In memory of John, the John Robinson Memorial Fund in Commerce will be established at UBC. The memorial fund is co-funded by his friends at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Gifts to this fund will pay tribute to the lasting positive impact that John has by providing an award directly to UBC students pursuing an undergraduate degree in Commerce, with the final decision on the award description and student eligibility made in consultation with the family.