The 2SLGBTQIA+ business resource group at IGM Financial.Supplied
When Swati Kumari accepted a position with Mackenzie Investments, part of the IGM Financial family group of companies, she was grateful for the opportunity. Since arriving in Canada in 2023 from her home in southern India, she spent many hours sending out résumés and attending job interviews. In India, Kumari worked in the financial centres of Delhi and Mumbai, advancing through the ranks of several companies to become an operations manager overseeing a team of 320. She knew in Canada she would have to start her career from scratch.
When IGM offered her an entry-level job in Toronto as a client representative, she embraced the opportunity. In just seven months, the company recognized her potential and promoted her to manager of client relations. “IGM recognized my capabilities and gave me a wonderful opportunity,” she says.
Two words summed up Kumari’s first impressions of Canada: cold and dark. “I arrived here in the middle of winter, and the sun was going down at four o’clock.” But things quickly began to warm up. “Over time I started to love it. I love the diverse culture of Canada and the welcoming work environment at Mackenzie. Working here has given me one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life.”
As one of Canada’s leading wealth and asset management companies, IGM Financial’s core businesses (IG Wealth Management and Mackenzie Investments) deliver a broad range of financial planning and investment management services to clients. Operating independently, they share corporate functions and are complemented by strategic partnerships.
Cynthia Currie, executive vice-president and chief human resources officer with IGM Financial, says the organization is committed to building an inclusive workplace. “We have a very intentional focus on diversity,” she says. “We don’t focus on targets, we focus on experiences and opportunities.”
To deliver those experiences, IGM is guided by an Inclusion Executive Council. And to continue to build its diverse workforce, the company’s talent acquisition team works with universities to encourage applications that reflect the diversity of their student bodies.
Open to all employees, allyship programs invite employees to support one another and deepen understanding of colleagues’ diverse lived experiences. The volunteer-led business resource groups (Black, Indigenous, Women, Pride, diverseAbilities, Pan-Asian and Green) not only support and contribute to IGM’s inclusive work environment but also provide professional development opportunities and generate business value through their initiatives.
Other inclusion priorities for IGM include workplace accommodation and accessibility initiatives along with delivering on its Reconciliation Action Plan. “We take our responsibility for reconciliation very seriously,” says Currie.
She says promoting inclusion in the company isn’t about checking a box or being seen to be doing the right thing. It’s a powerful business asset. “We’re a 100-year-old company and we believe our continued success directly correlates to the quality of our people and to the diversity of thought and perspective that goes into the critical business decisions we make.”
Kumari agrees. “Everyone here has different perspectives and different experiences. We all bring something unique from our own culture. I hope that the innovation and creativity I bring makes a difference to my colleagues and helps us provide better service to our clients.”
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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.