Like many individuals who ultimately embraced the world of social purpose, I started out as a clueless corporate warrior. I had finished my graduate studies in history which sadly qualified me for very little (don’t get wrong, I value these studies as they taught me how think critically and express those thoughts in writing). While completing my Master’s Degree in history at U of T, I worked part-time at Canada Trust, a job I had held since high school. When I finished grad school, Canada Trust invited me to participate in a management training program in the “estates and truste” area. With no other offers on the table, I quickly accepted.

And so, my career in financial services began. I worked hard, I worked smart and I rose up the ranks over the next eight years. I learned a ton, not just about estates and trusts (more in a minute on why that was important) but about how big companies work. I really enjoyed my time at Canada Trust. That company embraced a slogan, “Thinking Like A Customer”, that was deeply woven into the company’s culture and values.

The Journey Begins

In around 1998 (yup, I’m dating myself), I applied to become the co-chair of the company’s United Way campaign. I knew very little about philanthropy, charity and volunteerism but it sounded like a role that would help me continue to advance my career. Little did I know it would change my life. 

The UW campaign was all-consuming, at least for a couple of months each year. And while I really enjoyed my day job, I was incredibly passionate about this volunteer gig, especially when I began to learn more about the critical role that UW plays in supporting community organizations. I wondered if that passion could translate into a job. But I parked that thought.

In 1999, Imasco announced its plan to sell its controlling interest in Canada Trust to TD. I was scared by the uncertainty that followed. By that time, I was the Director of Product Development and we were told that all new projects were on hold. I was sure my position would be eliminated. It wasn’t.

I thought this might be a good time to test the waters and do something new. After all, I had never really set out to work in financial services. I had fallen into it. But in 1999, my eldest son was born and I welcomed the stability that came along with a steady paycheque. I put my plans on hold and worked on several integration projects. I will readily admit that TD’s takeover of Canada Trust was done in an entirely respectful and responsible manner. Yes, there were a lot of layoffs, but selfishly, I was pretty happy not to be one of them. 

Taking The Plunge

In 2001, I completed my part-time MBA at U of T. Not only did I learn a ton, I met a professor, Anne Armstrong, who helped me understand that business could be a force for social good. I am deeply indebted to her. Thank you, Anne!

In 2002, when the integration of the two businesses was essentially complete, I was given the opportunity to take an attractive severance package. Finally, I jumped at the chance and for the first time in my life, I really had the time to think about what I wanted to do next. I remembered my passion for running the United Way campaign and wondered if the skills I had developed at Canada Trust might support a career in philanthropy. I had no idea how relevant these skills would be.

It turned out there was this thing called “planned giving” which is essentially all about donating legacy gifts – bequests, life insurance, etc. I knew a ton about estate planning, insurance and wills. I didn’t know much about donors and charity but thankfully, a charity valued my background enough to make me its Director of Planned Giving. My career in philanthropy had begun. By this time, I was in my early thirties with two children and I knew I had found my place in the world.

Over the next several years, I worked at two charities and learned as much as I could about the Canadian philanthropic sector. I joined professional associations and became an active member and volunteer. In my job at the Toronto Foundation, I learned about complex gift planning, donor advised funds and the value of philanthropic advice. 

Back to Business

In 2005, exactly two decades ago, I was lured back to the financial services sector by the prospect of applying my diverse skills in a new role: Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Mackenzie Investments, part of IGM Financial. My main role would be to build a brand new donor advised fund for the Power Financial group of companies: Mackenzie, Investors Group and Canada Life.

That project, building the first independent donor advised fund in the Canadian financial sector, was a beast. I developed project management skills that I didn’t know I had and I learned even more about the inner workings of a large Canadian business. I was asked, and I agreed, to take the reins of the Mackenzie Investment Charitable Foundation, our employee giving vehicle. In my various roles, I learned how the power of a business could be harnessed for social good. 

Don’t get me wrong. Profit was, and still is, an integral driver for that business. Without profit, a business cannot survive. But through the Foundation and our products (in my case, the Mackenzie Charitable Giving Program, our donor advised fund), I began to understand that businesses had real power to leave a positive mark on the world by leveraging power levers for change. At Mackenzie, these levers included employee giving, company matching, volunteerism and product development.

At Mackenzie, I reported directly to a wonderful CEO who was deeply committed to community building. But I also learned the levers of corporate decision-making: How businesses make decisions and why. Don’t get me wrong. Profit is at the heart of decision-making but at the end of day, each decision was made by asking ourselves what kind of company did we want to be? We didn’t call it social purpose, but there’s no question in my mind that purpose was at the root of many of our decisions.

I wasn’t naive then, and I’m not naive now. I understand the important of profit, growth and shareholder value. But I understand now, more than ever, that a deep sense of purpose can be the foundation of financial success.

Forging a New Path – Spire Philanthropy and The Partnership Conference

In 2014, I left Mackenzie Investments and the IGM family. I knew it was time for me to embark on a new path and Spire Philanthropy was born. That new path included working with both charities and businesses. But as I worked with both sectors, I quickly realized that we needed to build a third path, one that created a clear line of sight these two worlds. I had no idea how this path would unfold.

In 2018, over breakfast with my old friend, Chris Baylis, we talked about what me might do to build that path. Actually, Chris spoke of what he intended to do (build a new conference that focused on corporate-charitable partnerships).I listened intently. Chris asked how my firm, Spire Philanthropy, might want to be involved. But participation as a speaker or sponsor simply felt inadequate. I wanted to partner with Chris to get this event off the ground. And so, over eggs and toast, Chris and I gave birth to the Corporate Partnership Conference.

Our inaugural one-day conference in May 2019 was held at the Board of Trade in Toronto and we filled the place! We had a docket of fabulous speakers, great food (always a staple of our conferences) and real momentum heading into 2020. We all know what happened next. The friggin’ pandemic which put all of our lives on hold. We ran a couple of virtual events but let’s face it, virtual events are simply NOT the same.

By the time we reconvened in person in 2023 (as The Partnership Conference), Chris had decided he wasn’t as interested in planning and curating live events. As much as I hated losing Chris, I felt like I was prepared to manage the conference on my own, thanks to a great team of event planners, sponsors and other supporters. Chris and I remain close friends.

There is really nothing in my journey that suggests I might be a good event planner. Maybe that’s why our conference has been successful, selling out the past two years.  When I think about how we plan the Conference, I approach it not as an event planner but from the perspective of a participant. I plan a conference that I’d want to attend. That means great speakers, fun activations (“Dragon’s Breath!), music, tasty food and lots of time to chat and network. That’s the Partnership Conference in a nutshell. Good times, good food, good friends. Sounds like the slogan for a pub, which is probably intended!

The Birth of SIPC: A Home for Our Community

As everyone knows, the Partnership Conference is open to all. It has been widely attended by folks from both the business and charitable sectors. Sadly, outside of our conference and a couple small networking groups, there has been no place for social impact leaders working in the business sectors to convene. Many of our conference attendees were looking for a space to network with their peers in the business sector outside of the conference. And who better to create this space than us?! And thus, Social Impact Professionals Canada came to life.

We launched Social Impact Professionals Canada in May 2023 at a breakfast event at Cisco. We had room for 100 people in the room and within 30 hours of opening up registration, every single spot in the room had been claimed. Since then, we’ve expanded SIPC to Vancouver and Montreal, and we expect more cities will join in. SIPC is a hub for purpose-driven professionals working in the business sector to come together, collaborate and learn. It’s been a resounding success.

It's now the summer of 2024 and we’re thinking about what’s next. After some serious prodding (thanks Wafa Kadri!), we decide to launch a “West” version of the partnership conference, beginning in Calgary in 2025. We’re really excited to venture outside of Toronto, and we know our inaugural event in October will be a resounding success.

The Road to Greater Purpose

I want to be clear. It was never my attention to build an empire of conferences and regional networking events. While the events are fun and fabulous, it was always my intention that everything we were building would ladder up to something bigger, dare I say a MOVEMENT. And that intention gave rise to GREATER PURPOSE. We want to build and grow a community for businesses committed to impact and purpose. We want to provide a space for learning, convening and collaboration. We want to celebrate achievements and be a beacon for change.

The business sector is a profoundly important part of Canadian society. . From the multi-national corporation to the sole proprietorship, businesses shape our daily lives. We own businesses, work for them, buy from them, sell to them and interact with them consciously hundreds of times each day. Business can be a force for social good. It can, when properly harnessed, make our lives better, not worse. And that it what Greater Purpose is all about. 

Everyone has their own story. And this is mine… my journey to purpose. Let’s build a movement….together.