December 19, 2024

Norine Hale, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, reflects on how BCI’s commitment to people and culture has contributed to being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers six years in a row.

Q1: Strong values alignment between an organization and its employees is a hallmark trait of a top employer. What drives BCI employees’ passion and commitment to living BCI’s values?
NH: I believe that our employees take the BCI value of Clients First very seriously. Most of the assets we manage are for pension funds that count more than 740,000 British Columbians as their beneficiaries. Our employees’ work contributes to paying pensions for retirees’ who spent lengthy careers as police officers, bus drivers, nurses, or teachers. Honestly, I can get a little emotional when I think about that and how important it is to safeguard and grow the investment funds to support these pensions. Our people are committed to Clients First and live BCI’s additional values, knowing their day-to-day decisions will impact these individuals, their families, and their communities. We take pride in our performance for both pension and non-pension clients, recognizing it as a powerful instrument for positive change and the greater good.

Q2: Top employers are known for constant improvement. What approach does BCI take to growth and development?
NH: BCI is a hub of exceptional and diverse individuals ready to share their knowledge and expertise. We prioritize learning and development through various programs and initiatives such as tuition reimbursement and in-house training, as well as establishing career pathing to ensure clear avenues for our employees to grow their careers with BCI.

Our co-op program provides hands-on work experience for people just starting their careers. It’s been an incredible talent pipeline and an opportunity for our employees to share and refine their knowledge through training post-secondary students and recent graduates.

We also encourage informal learning through mentorship, lunch and learns, and knowledge-sharing initiatives like our investment and public speaking clubs. People are willing to share what they know, making knowledge exchange probably the greatest source of learning here at BCI. Employees are encouraged to take the time for valuable informal discussions, and coffee chats are a key part of our culture. We really try to inspire curiosity, and I think employees know that. The people who are successful at BCI are curious. They’re the ones asking questions, listening and learning from each other.

Q3: Curiosity and innovation usually go hand in hand. Can you share how BCI fosters innovation?
NH: Innovation is one of the three strategic ambitions we established in our current business plan, and we are proud to encourage employees to be creative and support their efforts to innovate. This year we created an innovation council and ran an internal event called ‘The Innovation Bull Pen’ where employees pitched their ideas. We were also one of just 10 Canadian companies that participated in the Early Access Program for Microsoft Co-pilot and became early adopters of this AI tool. At our last town hall, we brought in an amazing speaker to inspire our employees and reinforce that innovation isn’t limited to technology. Innovation is about developing fresh ideas and approaches – it’s a mindset.

Since joining BCI more than 10 years ago, our CEO/CIO, Gordon J. Fyfe, has emphasized the importance of innovation and led by example. He took BCI from a ‘plain vanilla’ investment manager to an active, global investment manager that has a well-diversified lineup of investment strategies. So, while innovation with “capital letters” is new this year as part of our latest business plan, we have been at this for a while. I’ll add that “small i” innovation is essential too. Innovators aren’t just those coming up with the big ideas, innovation also occurs when people find incremental improvements in their day-to-day work. While these may seem small, these improvements can have exponential impacts. Being innovative is a journey without a final destination, and we’re continuing on this road to ensure we can maintain our commitment to deliver for our clients.