School of Accounting and Finance

School of Accounting and Finance Fellowship Honourees

Upkar Arora, MAcc, CA, CMA

Upkar obtained his Honours and Masters degrees in Accounting from the University of Waterloo in 1985. He had the honour of being the valedictorian of the first graduating class from the School of Accounting and Finance. After earning his CA and CMA designations with provincial and national distinction, his distinguished career rapidly progressed from public accounting to corporate leadership, and now to entrepreneurial leadership.

Upkar co-founded Illumina Partners in 2002, which acquires small- to mid-sized companies that require strategic, operational, or financial repositioning. Prior to forming Illumina, Upkar was a partner in Reliance Aerotech, where he worked on acquisitions and dispositions of aerospace companies. In 1999, as the first employee and managing director of Oncap Investment Partners, he helped launch Oncap Investment Partners, a $400 million private equity fund focused on small- to mid-sized businesses sponsored by Onex Corporation.

From 1995 to 1999, Upkar worked for TrizecHahn Corporation, focusing on finance activities, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. From 1988 to 1995, he worked for Reichmann International and Olympia and York Developments.

Upkar has been a strong supporter of UW and its accounting programs over the past twenty years. He established a five-year continuing scholarship for MAcc students in 1998, funded a graduate Scholarship in 2003 for the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) program, and established a five-year continuing scholarship in 2004. He has been a guest lecturer for various UW business courses, served as emcee for the 20th anniversary celebration of the School of Accounting and Finance, and has supported UW’s co-op program.

Upkar is currently a board trustee with the McMichael Art Collection and has previously volunteered with the Children's Aid Society, Big Brothers, Canadian Stage Company and Fort York Food Bank. He has also served as director for local community groups and has coached minor soccer teams.

2010 Fellow: Rohan Mathur