Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 22
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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS (2026)
For IGM Financial, diversity means good business
W
hen 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.
Everyone here has
different perspectives
and different
experiences. We all
bring something
unique from our own
culture.
— Swati Kumari
Manager, Client Relations
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.
The 2SLGBTQIA+ business resource group at IGM Financial.
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
