Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 26
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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS (2026)
Investing in people is a priority at Fengate
W
hen Andrea
McLean joined
Fengate Asset
Management
11 years ago,
she was its 100th employee. “I
remember when we did our
five-year vision plan and the goal
was to reach $8 billion in assets
under management. Today, we’re
at $25 billion and have nearly 300
employees,” she says.
Toronto and Oakville,
Ont.-based Fengate, a leading
alternative asset manager focused
on infrastructure, private equity
and real estate strategies with
offices in Canada and the United
States, believes in investing in its
people and promoting from within. McLean started as a manager
with no direct reports. Her career
progress was swift.
“Within 18 months, I was
promoted to a project director
role,” she says. “After I returned
from maternity leave, I came back
into a vice-president role and now
I’m a senior vice-president. When
you come in at a lower level, you’re
heads-down working on a part of
the puzzle. In my current role, I
have much more input and a view
on the overall business strategy,
which is very exciting.”
She credits Fengate with
giving her the necessary tools to
become the leader she is today. “I
developed my own style through
the good leaders I’ve had here and
who I wanted to emulate,” she
says.
The company also provided her
and other senior members with
multi-day training on the coach
leadership approach. “We learned
how to be partners to our employees, as opposed to telling them
what to do,” says McLean. She also
learned how to reach out to others
for her own problem-solving. “I’m
a woman in a male-dominated
industry, so I thought I had to
have all the answers. Part of the
coaching program required me to
ask others for input, and everyone
was so supportive.”
After more than 20 years working in recruitment, Kelly Millar,
vice-president, talent acquisition,
says she joined Fengate three
years ago because she wanted
“to find a home with a fantastic
culture in financial services.” In
addition to being aware of the
industry awards Fengate had received, Millar interviewed people
internally before accepting the
offer because “I wanted to work
at a company where the culture
spoke for itself, and I could focus
on bringing in top talent.”
Though Fengate has grown
quickly — especially within the
past three years, almost doubling
employee size — the culture
remains familial and entrepreneurial. “Even junior members
tell me it feels like a start-up
because their opinions and ideas
are considered,” Millar says. “Our
lines of communication are very
transparent and accessible. The
executives are always in the office
stopping to talk to everyone, at all
levels.”
Developing young talent is key
at Fengate. The company offers
a summer internship program
which recruits 10-15 students
annually. Each business unit
requesting an intern must submit
Even junior members tell me it feels like a start-up
because their opinions and ideas are considered.
— Kelly Millar
Vice-President, Talent Acquisition
Employees at Fengate Asset Management attend its annual FUEL Day of learning and development.
