Employees at IGM Financial raising money for Alzheimer's research with their families in Winnipeg.Supplied
Sixteen years ago, when Valérie Lemieux joined IGM Financial Inc., one of Canada’s leading wealth and asset management companies, she found a workplace that really suited her. “I love learning and trying new things,” she says. “IGM encourages people to expand their skills. I’ve had development plans throughout my time here and have had so many opportunities to grow and take on new challenges.”
Based in Montreal, Lemieux is currently the director of practice support at IG University – part of IGM’s IG Wealth Management division (its other divisions are Mackenzie Investments and Investment Planning Counsel). IG University offers an array of courses and professional accreditations for the firm’s cross-country network of financial advisors.
Lemieux treasures another facet of the company – its consultative, open-communication culture. “Everyone here, including our senior executives, is very approachable. I’ve often been involved in projects and strategic initiatives with senior leaders, working side by side with them. And I’ve learned a lot from them – they’re very inspiring.”
IGM’s collegial culture is also important to chief human resources officer Cynthia Currie. “The lack of traditional hierarchy makes this a unique place,” she notes. “Whether you work with IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie Investments, Investment Planning Counsel or any of our corporate functions, there isn’t that formality when interacting with executives. I personally get a lot of emails from employees at all levels.
“We often say that we are the perfect size: We’re small enough that we can develop relationships and work collaboratively, and big enough to have a variety of enterprise-scale work,” says Currie.
One example of the open-communication atmosphere is how IGM came up with its hybrid work model. With input and feedback from employees, the company determined that the approach most aligned with its culture and size was one based on dialogue, flexibility and inclusion.
Instead of having a rigid set of structured rules that govern days in the office, IGM has identified work that is better done in person, such as interviewing, on-boarding new team members, networking and collaborating on complex problem solving. Employees and their leaders can determine the combination of in-person and remote work that best helps achieve their goals.
IGM is also deeply committed to holistic wellness, supporting employees to be emotionally balanced, physically thriving, financially secure and socially connected. “We have had 10 wellness days for years and there’s lots of flexibility,” says Lemieux. “People don’t feel guilty taking time off.” These days are in addition to vacation, company-wide days off, summer hours and short-term disability.
Currie, meanwhile, takes pride in the fact that IGM has been lauded as one of Canada’s most sustainable corporations and a leading corporate citizen. She cites the company’s commitment to breaking down barriers in the financial sector for historically under-represented groups, including women and Black employees, as well as its focus on sustainable investing among other things.
“We do a lot of outreach with our communities,” she adds. “And our commitment to environmental, social and governance criteria is something that prospective employees ask about. It makes us an incredibly attractive organization.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.