Culture & Community

Alberta expansion was a highlight in the fall of 2022. Chief Technology Officer Denise Man, CEO Evan Siddall, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Management Employees Pension Plan Board Chair Jon Himmens cut the ribbon to open our Calgary office.

With a deep talent pool and the richness of being a world-class energy hub, Calgary offers additional opportunities to serve our clients.

The office décor features some incredible Indigenous art, including work from Métis artist Aguenus (Angela Hall). As an Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund plan member, she has a special connection to AIMCo.

There will be more ribbons to cut in the coming months —Singapore and New York offices are in the works.

Give them a gold star for advocacy! Members of an Employee Resource Group nicknamed WAGE (short for Women and Allies for Gender Equity) played a part in changes to AIMCo’s corporate incentive plan. The new system no longer pro-rates performance pay during the top-up period for employees on parental and maternity leave. It’s a sign of concrete action in support of family caregivers and an example of the collaborative work that happens at AIMCo.

“Removing a barrier that was disproportionately impacting women in our organization was really gratifying,” said Chief Technology Officer Denise Man, the executive sponsor of WAGE.

“Ultimately, a more equitable system is better for everyone, and we can all be proud of this industry-leading commitment.”

On top of this success story, WAGE members helped organize an International Women’s Day event alongside the Alberta School of Business, Edmonton Women in Finance and YWCA Edmonton. Add to that an interactive leadership workshop and a personal branding seminar. All that in what was only the group’s first year in existence!

Learning and awareness were the primary focus for AIMCo’s Indigenous Focus Employee Resource Group in 2022. The group organized Indigenous Awareness Training put on by Holly Fortier of Nisto Consulting. Her session detailed key events that shaped Indigenous People’s history, cultural differences to be aware of and tangible actions for improving Indigenous relations in participants’ daily lives.

The group also collaborated with two Canadian investment peers to provide their colleagues the privilege of hearing from Jesse Thistle, PhD candidate, assistant professor, and best-selling Métis-Cree author of “From the Ashes”. His compelling story humanizes the reality of colonization in Canada.  

The group’s leadership, including executive sponsor Rod Girard, has laid the groundwork for a broad interest in reconciliation across the organization. A number of employees participated in a Blanket Exercise earlier this year, facilitated by Pamela Sparkling eyes and Wanda Whitford. This experiential learning opportunity helped team members better understand the experience of Indigenous Peoples from pre-settler times to the present day. In a further commitment, AIMCo’s first Manager of Indigenous Relations started June 1, 2023.

When Waleem Alausa was a post-graduate student considering employment possibilities, he noticed a solitary image of a Black employee in an AIMCo Annual Report.

“Is it even possible to work here?” he recalled thinking.

Maryanne Aghalu felt similar uncertainty before she was hired in 2021.

“I wasn’t sure how many we were, in terms of numbers, but I did feel like it was a close-knit community,” she said, noting that she was able to connect with other Black employees on LinkedIn before she accepted her position.

Fast forward to 2023, and both are well established in their careers at AIMCo, Waleem as an Investment Risk Assurance Director and Maryanne as a Human Resources Business Partner Manager.

The pair is now eagerly tackling the task of establishing a Black Employee Resource Group, alongside other colleagues and executive sponsors Amit Prakash and Suzanne Akers.

What began as an informal interest group in 2021, gained momentum and officially launched as an Employee Resource Group during Black History Month in 2023. With 5% of AIMCo employees self-identifying as Black, the group has four goals centred around education and awareness, developing Black leaders, promoting well-being, and strengthening engagement.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to leverage mentorship to identify and develop more Black leaders,” said Maryanne.

“We want everyone to feel welcome. It’s a group that’s open to everyone but with a specific purpose,” added Waleem.

In today's rapidly evolving world, technological advancements, economic changes, and societal shifts are impacting industries and jobs. That’s why AIMCo strongly encourages continuous learning, professional growth, and career development of its employees through the Skills Development and Educational Assistance (SDEA) program.

The program provides full-time employees with an annual allotment of $5,000 to help build careers and stay up to date with in-demand skills. Most team members use the program for educational programs, certifications or conferences. But some colleagues, who are just starting their careers, are using the allowance to pay back tuition.

Phillip Seu, a CPA student at AIMCo, used his annual allotment to repay student loans.

“One of the best features of the SDEA is that it's not pro-rated. Coming out of university, I needed to be enrolled in the CPA program and the modules are pretty expensive,” said Seu.

“I’m saving for a down payment on my first home. With the tuition support, I’ll pay off my student loans quicker and save more for my first home in a shorter period of time.”

Just one year after surpassing the million-dollar mark for fundraising, the AIMCo Foundation for Financial Education has achieved a new milestone. In 2022, the registered charity exceeded $1 million in funds delivered.

You might think raising money is the hard part, but making sure it has the biggest possible impact requires diligence and sound governance. Those principles were critical when the Foundation was established in 2018 with a mission to provide grants to organizations offering financial literacy programming, along with scholarships for students pursuing formal post-secondary education in a financial field.

AIMCo employees volunteer on the two committees tasked with distributing the funds.

“When grant applications come in, I have the privilege of seeing what Alberta non-profits are doing to improve financial literacy in our communities,” said Granting Committee member Michael Kmicik.

“Selecting the recipients can be challenging, but we have excellent criteria and a team that works hard to make sure donor money is used wisely.”

“Many of the scholarship recipients send us letters of thanks. It’s rewarding to hear how the support lightens their financial burdens while they work toward their academic goals,” said Logan McIntosh who sits on the Scholarship Committee.