Profile
“We believe effective advising means helping people understand not just what questions they have, but the depth behind them. Teaching this way deepens relationships and leads to lasting connections”
Michael Bisaro,
StraightLine
Adam Charania is the vice president, human resources at The University of British Columbia (UBC), where he champions a people-first, inclusive, and resilient workplace culture. Appointed in December 2024, he brings over 20 years of senior HR leadership experience across Canada’s public and private sectors, with a background spanning government, healthcare, energy, and insurance. At UBC, Charania collaborates across the university to advance its academic mission, strengthen its reputation as a top global institution, and create a better workplace for more than 20,000 employees. He oversees a broad portfolio, including health and wellbeing, talent development, faculty and employee relations, advisory services, housing and immigration, and total rewards. He’s recognized for his collaborative leadership style and his ability to work closely with university leadership, faculty, staff, unions, and external partners to advance progressive people strategies in support of UBC’s mission and refreshed Strategic Plan. Beyond his work at UBC, Charania has served as president of the Human Resources Association of Universities in Western Canada and sits on the HR Committee of the Board for BC Hockey. As a cancer survivor, he is deeply committed to supporting cancer research through the BC Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. Charania’s leadership is shaped by his lived experience, global perspective, and a strong belief in the importance of a caring, psychologically safe workplace – ensuring every employee has the opportunity to thrive.
600-6190 Agronomy Road
+1 604 827 2055
adam.charania@ubc.ca
linkedin.com/in/adamcharania
hr.ubc.ca
Adam Charania
Vice President, Human Resources
The University of British Columbia
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Bio
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Profile
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Bio
Milestones
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Bio
Milestones
“Transitioning from a pure advisory focus to a combined leadership and advisory position has made balancing all responsibilities with limited time especially difficult. To address this, we’re bringing in people who can share the load, training our team to handle more, and implementing new tools to boost productivity”
Michael Bisaro,
StraightLine
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Over 6,300 faculty and staff participated in UBC’s Workplace Experiences Survey
UBC named one of British Columbia’s Top Employers
UBC recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers, and Canada’s Top Employers for Young People
2021
UBC launches a Centre for Workplace Accessibility
UBC named one of British Columbia’s Top Employers
UBC recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers, and Canada’s Top Employers for Young People
2022
UBC named one of British Columbia’s Top Employers
UBC recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers, and Canada’s Top Employers for Young People
2023
Over 9,000 faculty and staff participated in UBC’s Workplace Experiences Survey
2024
UBC receives Canada’s Best Places to Work award
2025
Milestones
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
“Transitioning from a pure advisory focus to a combined leadership and advisory position has made balancing all responsibilities with limited time especially difficult,” he says. “To address this, we’re bringing in people who can share the load, training our team to handle more, and implementing new tools to boost productivity. It’s just as challenging as I expected, especially letting go of tasks I once handled directly. Ultimately, it all comes back to managing capacity, time, and the continual adjustments that come with it.”
With an aging wealth management industry, Bisaro has placed much of StraightLine’s attention on internal mentorship. By partnering with various universities, Bisaro and StraightLine are providing opportunities for the advisors who will be carrying the industry’s torch into the next era.
“The mentoring aspect of what we’re doing has really defined our corner of the industry. It’s become central to how we grow, not just as a firm, but as individual professionals. Mentorship allows us to expand our capabilities beyond ourselves and ensures that knowledge and experience are carried forward,” he explains.
“Of course, there’s a practical benefit to our firm in cultivating future talent, but it goes far beyond that. The industry needs this. People need this. Supporting and developing the next generation of advisors is a natural and essential extension of who we are and what we do.”