Canada's Top 100 Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 35
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( 2025 ) SPONSOR CONTENT
IGM’s culture champions putting people first
W
hen Michelle
Brochu mentioned
to a couple of her
fellow volunteers
at a Toronto hockey club that she
was job hunting, they urged her to
apply to their employer, Mackenzie
Investments, part of the IGM
Financial Inc. group of companies.
Brochu has a stellar educational
and professional background but,
like some women with young
children, she’d stepped out of the
workforce for a while. She says
that even though she was keeping
her skills sharp and acquiring new
ones in a variety of volunteer roles,
prospective employers saw only the
gap in her salaried career.
“Our commitment to social
responsibility and giving back
is a massive point of pride for
our employees.”
— Cynthia Currie
Chief Human Resources Officer
That all changed when she
followed up on the suggestion she
consider Mackenzie. “During my
first interview I felt my life experience was truly appreciated, and the
work I was doing in the community
had value in the business world,”
Brochu says. “They also recognized
my strengths and everything I have
to offer.”
She joined the investment
management firm as a senior assistant in late 2022 and immediately
took to the inclusive and nonhierarchical workplace. “I really
enjoy all the people I’m working
with,” she says. “Our senior leaders
are accessible and approachable.
The whole environment helps you
feel motivated to go as far as you can
in your career.”
Within 10 months, Brochu was
promoted to senior analyst, sales
enablement, in retail distribution.
Working with an eight-member
team, her responsibilities include
organizing programs and events
throughout Canada for outside advisors, so they have the training and
information they need to provide
timely advice and solutions to their
clients.
IGM is one of Canada’s leading
wealth and asset management companies, which includes Mackenzie
Investments and IG Wealth
Management. The companies operate separately but share corporate
functions.
They also share a corporate
culture of putting people first. And
as Brochu discovered, that includes
people in their communities, as well
as IGM colleagues and clients.
Chief human resources officer
Cynthia Currie says IGM partners
with assorted non-profit organizations that serve and create opportunities for diverse communities.
It also offers various programs and
initiatives that encourage and empower employees to donate to, and
volunteer with, hundreds of charities
coast to coast.
“Our commitment to social
responsibility and giving back is
a massive point of pride for our
employees,” Currie says.
She adds that IGM regularly
uses tools such as surveys and focus
groups and holds regular town halls
with live Q&A sessions, so employees
Employees at IGM Financial enjoy a summer social event celebrating
their achievements and contributions.
feel valued and heard on a wide
range of matters. This includes
everything from the effectiveness of
the senior leadership to opportunities for learning and development.
Employee feedback also helped
inform IGM’s considered approach
to determining the future of its
post-pandemic workplace – a hybrid
work model, with employees in the
office three days a week.
It also launched Ways of Working
(WoW), a comprehensive action
plan to ensure its hybrid model is
fully functional. A partnership with
real estate, IT and human resources,
10
wellness days per year
WoW initiatives included upgrading
physical office spaces, installing QR
codes to make it easier to report facility or technology issues and training
leaders in how to have difficult
conversations with team members
about hybrid work.
“Our culture is based on
collaboration, and that works best
in person,” says Currie. “At the same
time, employees still have some of
the flexibility they grew accustomed
to working from home.
“We believe three days is the sweet
spot that addresses both corporate
and employee needs.” ¢
13,896
staff volunteer hours last year
Proud to be recognized as one of
Canada’s Top 100 Employers
