Dairy Farmers of Canada nourishes staff development

Jacques Lefebvre has been CEO of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) since 2018, helping shape the strategic direction of the Ottawa-based national advocacy organization and shepherding it through the pandemic and its pivot to a hybrid work model. In that time, he recognized the need to stay connected with homebound staff.

“During the pandemic, we had regular touchpoints with employees and I recorded video messages and sent them out every few weeks to update staff and see how they were doing,” Lefebvre says. “It was part of a deliberate strategy to put the well-being of our employees at the centre of our priorities, and we are still committed to that approach.”

That commitment was always there, but it has become foundational to DFC’s operational philosophy. In fact, the pandemic offered Lefebvre and the leadership team a learning experience that led to some permanent changes for DFC’s employees.

“We quickly recognized that people weren’t set up to work from home and that it was important to support them there, so we provided financial resources for employees to use for their home offices,” Lefebvre says.

On top of home office resources, DFC offers employees mentorships, flexible work schedules, individual development plans and support for all kinds of training and education programs, from attending external courses and seminars to leading internal informational sessions on issues like artificial intelligence.

Abdou Doumbia, DFC’s financial controller, appreciates that support. “This organization is committed to professional development,” he says. “Right now, I’m doing my MBA, and they’re providing me with a lot of flexibility and accommodations to balance my work and studies. It’s a great work environment, with many development opportunities and a supportive culture.”

DFC incorporates a value system that asks employees to embrace three mindsets inspired by The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni that help shape the organization: being hungry, humble and smart. “The leadership promotes those values, and they really speak to me,” says Doumbia. “Since day one, my interest has been in improving systems, and they’ve been very open and supportive of my projects.”

The organization also offers employees financial support to spend on health and wellness-related activities, like gym memberships and sporting equipment, as well as access to physicians and psychologists and reimbursements for public transit.

Doumbia mentions perks like a three-day floater that can be used for personal matters and a generous income supplement for new parents. “I took advantage of that last year, taking four months off when my daughter was born,” he says. “Being able to have the time to take care of your family while finances are not an issue is a big support.”

Recruiting and retaining top talent is another key priority for DFC. “We start from that point, because people have choices and don’t always have a long-term attachment to one employer,” says Lefebvre. “They’ll do part of their professional journey with you but if they feel their needs and development aren’t supported, they’ll move on.”

“It’s an investment, but there’s a return on that investment because when people grow, their ability to support the organization also increases,” Lefebvre adds. “We don’t produce products like cars at DFC. We offer advocacy, policy and marketing services to our members, and that value is not derived by machinery, but by people, so we need to support our team.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's National Capital Region's Top Employers winners, published March 4, 2025 in the Ottawa Citizen. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.