Fengate makes people its biggest investment asset

When Jennifer Honey made the switch from a decades-long career in the technology and hospitality industries to become chief human resources officer at Fengate Asset Management five years ago, she was a bit apprehensive at first.

After all, technology and hospitality are notorious for their fast-paced environment for HR professionals. There is a lot more turnover — which means onboarding, learning and development, and issues with employee relations. “I worried that the financial industry would be slower paced,” says Honey. “I like to build platforms and develop programs that are very IT-focused, and you need a fun and very engaged executive team in order to do that.”

Within days, she realized she had found a home at Fengate. Instead of the staid, slow-paced workplace she had envisioned, she found a dynamic company full of entrepreneurial spirit. “It’s a young culture, a fast-paced work environment where everyone makes a big contribution. There’s lots going on, and when you have a young demographic like ours, they want ways to connect with others and grow their careers.”

Fengate operates as a leading alternative asset manager focused on three pillars: infrastructure, private equity and real estate strategies. With $10 billion in market capital and $40 billion in gross asset value, the company operates from offices in Toronto and Oakville, Ont., with U.S. offices in Houston and Miami.

As managing director of asset management, John-Bosco Agbasi oversees all aspects of Fengate’s commercial and residential portfolio including investment strategy, capital raising, risk management, asset allocation, portfolio structure, fund management, and analytics. He is focused on multi-family housing, a task that carries a lot of meaning for him. “From a residential perspective, our pipeline is over 25,000 units. If you think about the housing crisis, we’re doing our part to provide a solution. For me, that is what has made my work meaningful — knowing I’m contributing to a better future for our economy and for Canadians.”

Agbasi says the company does several things to keep the close-knit culture that has existed since Fengate’s founding 50 years ago. “It's a reflection of our leadership team and our people, and us never forgetting our roots. Our company has expanded, we now have projects all over North America, but we haven’t forgot our purpose. We remember that we’re here to exceed our clients’ objectives while improving the world through our investments.”

Fengate has a number of programs focused on employees. Flex days that give employees the ability to control their own work schedule are popular. So are company-wide “recharge days” — a scheduled day off at the beginning of each long weekend that creates a four-day mini-vacation. A social committee is responsible for planning extracurricular activities and events, the company sponsors regular Dine and Discover luncheons for employees, and Fengate also contributes money and resources to employee-driven resource groups such as Women at Fengate and Emerging Leaders. Employees also have access to the Fengate private markets fund co-investment program.

With Fengate’s global reach and large portfolio of investments, the opportunities for individual growth are myriad, says Agbasi. “Expanding our business organically leads to many opportunities for our employees,” he says. “I’ve experienced that growth in my career. And because Fengate’s culture of learning is embedded in how we operate, you can also develop professionally through leadership training and skills development.”

“We really invest in our people,” says Honey. “We do that through a robust learning and development program that helps our employees become high performers and great leaders. Our people are our biggest asset.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers winners, published April 8, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.