Recognized as one of Montreal's Top Employers (2022):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 14, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why Richter LLP was selected as one of Montreal's Top Employers (2022):
- Richter LLP's benefits plan includes coverage for mental health practitioners (recently increased to $1,200 annually), a health spending account of up to $1,000, and a separate wellness spending account of $1,000, which can be used to subsidize various wellness-related activities such as sports classes, painting, pottery and photography
- Richter LLP encourages employees to pursue additional education through tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions and also offers financial bonuses for some course completion (up to $4,500)
- Richter LLP reaches out to the next generation of employees through summer employment, paid internships, apprenticeship and formal mentoring programs
Collaboration leads to connection at Richter
When Richter LLP asked its team members for one word that would best describe the Montréal-based business advisory and family office services firm, the most popular answer that came back was “family.”
That doesn’t surprise Justine Delisle, a partner in the firm who leads Richter’s Family Account Management team. “I think that goes back to our culture of caring,” she says. “We foster a sense of belonging, and the feeling that you’re part of something bigger than a work environment. It’s more like a lifestyle, and we want our employees to feel that.”
During the pandemic, Richter stepped up with a number of programs to help team members manage their work-life balance, their pandemic stress and their general health and well-being. They were given access to a virtual health-care network of physicians, as well as to the popular Kiid Concierge, which offers parents a range of childcare and tutoring services.
Richter also launched monthly mental health webinars to address team members’ concerns. Those included questions about managing teams remotely and identifying colleagues who might be experiencing anxiety or depression and need extra support. “The pandemic has been stressful in different ways,” says Delisle, “and we wanted to make sure we gave our employees the tools they need to feel safe.”
The firm continues to invest heavily in professional development. As Richter’s manager of learning and development, Andrea Musailowski leads an extensive slate of training programs, bringing together colleagues from different services to learn about each other’s work experiences, including Train the Trainer, which explores which ways of learning might work for each individual.
“At Richter it’s all about innovation and collaboration,” she says. “We believe it’s the responsibility of all of us to grow each other’s competencies and support each other. So you could have someone with audit expertise working with someone who specializes in risk management, or tax and restructuring professionals working together. It’s a great opportunity for them to train each other on what their goals look like and share their technical expertise so they can work more collaboratively.”
Richter also offers a Women in Leadership program that provides mentorship and education to enable the advancement of female team members. “We see these young women before and after they participate in the program, and we can measure the difference in their confidence and their competencies,” says Musailowski. “For me, it’s extremely rewarding to work for a firm that is committed to that initiative.”
Delisle points out that each participant in the Women in Leadership program is personally supported by a senior sponsor, underlining Richter’s family-like connections. “We want to make sure we give young women the proper tools, confidence and network to advance in their careers,” she says.
“I’m a young woman partner, and I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish over the past two years,” she adds. “I’ve developed my own team and my own services, and that’s because the firm has always supported my entrepreneurship and been open to my ideas. I appreciate that there’s an ecosystem of innovation that maximizes the experience for both clients and employees.”
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2022):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 4, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why Richter LLP was selected as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2022):
- Richter LLP quickly moved employees to work-from-home arrangements and ensured that employees took home needed equipment to set up proper home offices
- Richter LLP offers generous referral bonuses for employees who successfully recruit a new candidate to the firm, from $1,500 to $7,000, depending on the position
- Richter LLP lets employees share in business successes through a year-end bonus program and encourages employees to save for the future with RSP contributions
Shared values create a family feeling at Richter
When COVID-19 forced the team at Richter LLP to start working remotely in 2020, no one was worried that the close-knit culture at the Montréal-based business advisory and family office services firm would be affected.
“There was just no way that was going to happen,” says Catherine Boivin, senior manager of Richter’s Risk, Performance and Technology division, who describes the company culture as family-like. “We truly feel that we all share the same values of innovation, collaboration and passion about our clients, as well as the feeling of family that makes it such a great place to work.”
And they have managed to maintain that closeness throughout the pandemic lockdowns, she says. “We just moved it online. We used to eat lunch together at the office; now we have virtual lunches, meetings and events as well as Lunch and Learns where someone will do a presentation and everyone shares ideas. We all recognized that staying connected was more important than ever.”
Boivin says that Richter’s virtual team discussions are key to its culture. “It’s the way we stay connected and share our way of seeing things,” she says. “When we share our experiences and talk about them, it makes us feel that we can relate to each other and create that family feeling. You feel like you can count on each other.”
Gregory Moore, a Toronto-based partner with Richter Family Office, which offers multi-family office services, says that one of the firm’s strengths is its emphasis on making clients and team members feel equally valued. “There’s a real culture of collaboration,” he says, “and an understanding that a business succeeds by ensuring it’s doing what’s in the best interests of its employees as well as its clients.”
That meant finding multiple ways to maintain connections with home-based team members. “The touch-points are professional but also social,” says Moore. “We have regular check-ins and webinars as well as virtual cocktail parties, and we recognize staff contributions with virtual gatherings where we celebrate in a fun and unique way the importance of their accomplishments.”
In addition to its flexible work arrangements, Richter moved to enhance team members’ benefits during the pandemic, doubling the amount allowed for mental health care, presenting webinars on mental health and well-being, and introducing a concierge service where parents can get help with childcare. “Team members can book services with a provider called Kiid to help with tutoring or babysitting, and it’s been really popular,” Boivin says.
The firm also provides online access to health-care professionals. “If you don’t have a family doctor, you can access that platform and reach out if you need prescriptions or medical advice,” says Boivin. “We also have a special program related to health and well-being that supports anything related to sports and outdoor activities. We want to make sure that our people are doing well, even in a difficult time.”
Moore draws a direct line between the firm’s expertise in in providing financial advice to families and its supportive culture. “I think nurturing is prevalent at Richter because we work with families and we understand the nuances and emotions and complexities around families and business,” he says. “And when that’s true, it’s easier to build a common understanding among team members.”
The Career Directory
Richter LLP has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
