Janine Guenther, CFA, CMT, president, at Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel.Provided
Glen Rattray has been in the investment business for over 30 years and knows a winner when he sees one. So when he had a chance to join Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc., he was all-in.
“The thing that really distinguishes Dixon Mitchell is that it’s a very cohesive team – there’s a real sense of teamwork here,” says Rattray, senior investment counsellor. “And that’s not an accident. It’s by design over the firm’s 22-year history.”
Dixon Mitchell is a 100-per-cent employee-owned, independent investment counsel firm. Headquartered in Vancouver, it also has an office in Calgary. It manages approximately $4-billion in assets and serves both high-net-worth families and small institutions, including First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations.
A sense of togetherness and common mission starts the moment new employees walk in the door. Everyone is given the resources they need to grow and succeed professionally, including an annual continuing education allowance of $1,100, available to all employees. Many use it to get their chartered financial analyst certificate, the sector’s professional designation.
Employees also receive a wealth of experience. Because of its size, Dixon Mitchell doesn’t pigeonhole employees. They get to do the full gamut of tasks. For those who want it, the path to becoming an associate is open and the company supports employees whatever their professional finish line is.
“You’re going to learn here and see things from a whole investment firm perspective,” says president Janine Guenther.
“If you go work at a bank or at a big investment shop, you might only be in trading or settlement or in the front office. Here, because we’re a small firm, you’re going to see absolutely everything.”
Dixon Mitchell treats employees as carefully as it does its clients’ money, putting a premium on physical and mental wellness. Along with a physical training budget, employees receive mental health support, flexible work hours and transit subsidies as part of a comprehensive benefits package.
The co-operative, collaborative work atmosphere encourages strong bonds between employees as well as clients. It’s not uncommon for a counsellor to work with three generations of clients from the same family.
“It’s a very flat organization,” says Rattray. “All doors are open. I’ve been in organizations where there are many levels and many closed doors. Here it’s very open and there’s a real sense of community and purpose.”
Dixon Mitchell also places a high value on creating an inclusive, diverse work culture. There’s a near 50-50 balance between female and male employees, with women in two-thirds of the company’s leadership positions, a departure from the norm in the investment counselling sector.
As hard as they work, employees at Dixon Mitchell also have fun together. As a team, they go snowshoeing, play golf and participate in holiday events. Employees outside Vancouver are annually flown there along with their spouses for a family dinner. Company camaraderie is also reinforced by weekly Friday lunches.
Dixon Mitchell doesn’t forget those who are less fortunate. It doesn’t just cut cheques for charity; people roll up their sleeves and get into the kitchen, like when employees volunteered at the Union Gospel Mission eight times last year to help with dinner. Those and other charitable and volunteer activities further build a sense of esprit de corps.
“We believe that if we work together and play together and give together, we should find common ground for everybody,” says Guenther.
“At the end of the day, the best investment you can make is in people – in their education, in their health and in having fun while helping others.”
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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.