Chief Human Resources Officer

Hybrid / Toronto, ON
Human Resources

Our Client

AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm.  Founded in 1957, the firm is publicly traded with a current AUM of ~$60B CAD and delivers excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three distinct business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations. With investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe, AGF serves more than 820,000 investors.

Position Overview

As AGF enters its next phase of sustained growth, the firm is seeking a strategic and commercially astute Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to lead its Human Resource function.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the CHRO will serve as a key member of the Executive Management Team, responsible for shaping and executing an integrated enterprise-wide human capital strategy aligned with the firm’s long-term vision, culture, strategic priorities, and fiduciary obligations.

The CHRO will design and lead a comprehensive People & Culture and Total Rewards strategy focused on:

  • Leadership development and executive and succession
  • Talent attraction, development, and retention
  • Building and sustaining a high-performance, collegial culture
  • Designing competitive, performance-aligned compensation structures
  • Further embedding a competency-based performance management framework

This role requires an enterprise mindset, sound judgment, and the ability to operate effectively within a regulated, fiduciary, and performance-driven environment.  The successful candidate will ensure that the firm’s most critical asset—its people—remains a sustainable competitive advantage.

Role Responsibilities

Enterprise Talent Strategy

  • Develop and execute a multi-year Talent Strategy aligned with growth objectives, business priorities, and governance requirements.
  • Translate business strategy into workforce capability needs across the firm.
  • Ensure full integration of talent systems, including acquisition, development, performance management, succession planning, and rewards.
  • Establish metrics and reporting frameworks to monitor organizational and talent capability.

 

Executive Succession & Leadership Development

  • Design and implement a rigorous enterprise-wide succession planning framework that embeds leadership development as a strategic priority.
  • Partner with the CEO and Board to ensure robust executive and critical role succession plans.
  • Identify and accelerate development of high-potential leaders and foster diverse and resilient succession pipelines that support long-term sustainability.

 

Compensation & Performance Alignment

  • Oversee executive and broad-based compensation programs to ensure they:
    • Incentivize strategic and business objectives
    • Align with performance outcomes and risk-adjusted returns
    • Support shareholder interests
    • Recognize performance efforts and contributions on AGF employees and remain competitive within the market
  • Review and evolve the performance management system to ensure alignment with a competency-based framework that supports development, accountability, and differentiation of performance.

 

Culture & Organizational Effectiveness

  • Lead organizational design initiatives to support succession, growth, scalability, and operational efficiency and ensure structures, decision rights, and incentives are aligned with strategic priorities.
  • Assess and shape firm culture to balance performance standards, respectful collaboration and constructive growth-based challenges
  • Guide workforce planning in response to market and business dynamics.

 

Leadership of the People & Culture and Total Rewards Function

  • Build, lead, and develop a highly capable and effective People & Culture and Total Rewards team to ensure the function operates with excellence in both strategic advisory and operational execution.
  • Oversee delivery of high-quality, timely, and compliant HR services across all employee lifecycle stages.
  • Strengthen the team’s capability to provide trusted advisory support to business leaders and corporate functions to ensure the HR function can proactively partner with business teams and corporate functions to anticipate and respond to their evolving talent and total rewards needs.
  • Drive continuous improvement in HR processes, systems, and service delivery to ensure scalability and operational rigor.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional excellence within the HR function.

 

Executive Advisory & Governance

  • Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Executive Management Team.
  • Support leadership in achieving business priorities through effective people strategies.
  • Ensure HR policies and practices comply with financial industry regulations, labor laws, ethical standards and AGF’s values.
  • Leverage HRIS systems and data analytics to inform talent acquisition, retention, workforce planning, and organizational decisions.

Desired Qualifications

  • 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, with significant tenure in asset management, alternative investments, or financial services.
  • Demonstrated expertise in succession planning, leadership development, performance management, and organizational design within performance-driven environments.
  • Deep experience designing and overseeing compensation programs that incentivize and reward strategic and financial objectives.
  • Strong commercial acumen and understanding of investment-led business models.
  • Proven capability designing talent strategies for high-performing professional services firms.
  • Successful experience and outcomes in building and leading high-performing HR and Total Rewards teams.
  • Experience working closely with Boards and executive leadership teams.
  • High credibility, discretion, and demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders.
  • A values-based leader with a track record of delivering organizational results while maintaining a strong focus on how results are achieved.

We appreciate your interest in this role.

In sharing your resume, you place your trust in us to treat you with integrity and respect and act in your best interests. All resumes will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Those who most closely meet our client’s requirements will be contacted for an interview.

Please pass this opportunity forward. We welcome all referrals should someone in your network benefit from this opportunity.

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Sarah brings over 10 years of experience in executive search and human capital consulting, specializing in real estate, financial services, and professional services. Before joining Thorek/Scott Partners as Director, she held senior roles at global and boutique executive search firms, successfully leading searches across North America at the senior and executive levels. She is known for her collaborative, candidate-focused approach and for providing creative, thoughtful solutions that ensure the best fit for her clients’ needs.

Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree from York University in Classical Studies. She enjoys reading, cooking, tackling cryptic crosswords, and watching Formula 1 racing.

Katie Watt

Research and Operations Specialist

Katie enjoys being part of the Research and Operations division at Thorek/Scott and Partners. Katie utilizes her skills in research, project and data management to support the recruiting efforts of the Thorek/Scott and Partners team. She enjoys working in the positive team atmosphere that Thorek/Scott and Partners offers.

After completing her Master’s in Geography at the University of Toronto, Katie worked in consulting in the environmental non-profit sector where she conducted policy analysis and delivered workshops on sustainable development. Katie continues to pursue her passions of environmental protection by volunteering with local environmental non-profit organizations.

Lisa is thrilled to be a part of the team at Thorek/Scott and Partners. Lisa’s deep background in financial services, relationship building, and customer service coupled with her background in operations and support has been instrumental to the firm’s Research and Operations division. Prior to joining Thorek/Scott and Partners, Lisa worked for over 10 years in a large Canadian Bank in front facing, client operational roles. Having worked for large organizations in the past, she is delighted to be part of a close-knit group and enjoys the upbeat office and friendly environment at Thorek/Scott and Partners.

In her free time, Lisa enjoys reading, crafting and spending time with family and friends.

Derek Young is a former finance professional turned recruitment consultant. He connects top-tier talent with prestigious organizations seeking exceptional leaders. His expertise lies in the recruitment of high-caliber risk and compliance professionals for investment management, real estate, and financial services firms across North America.

Derek joined Thorek/Scott and Partners after a successful tenure with one of the largest globally recognized recruitment firms, where he specialized in consulting legal and compliance professionals across financial & professional services. He is passionate about helping people fulfil their long-term career aspirations. Derek’s personable approach and knowledge of the financial landscape allows him to develop strong relationships with both candidates and clients.

After completing his B.Com from the University of Toronto’s Finance program, Derek began his career as a financial advisor working for two of Canada’s largest wealth managers. These roles taught him the importance of listening to his clients and always putting their goals first. Derek has lived and traveled in Ireland, Europe, Asia and Africa. He enjoys playing and watching a variety of sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Lisa is thrilled to join the Thorek/Scott and Partners team and brings 30 years of experience in large public sector organizations. She has held multiple executive leadership positions in the education sector and as CEO was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization including Human Resources, Operations, Information Technology, Finance, Capital, and Leadership.

Lisa brings her insight and experience to executive recruitment. She is a highly motivated and goal-oriented professional dedicated to finding high quality talent.

Lisa has worked with multiple stakeholders within the community and at the Provincial level. She has trained senior executives on Strategic Planning and Implementation in Canada and the United States. She has taught Masters’ level courses and College programs. She has authored documents on Strategic Planning, Poverty, Succession Planning and Leadership Development.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Leadership/Administration. Lisa completed the Executive Leadership programs at Rotman School of Management and the Richard Ivey School of Business as well as earning multiple certificates at the Queens Executive Education Program.

Lisa belongs to several professional organizations including the Professional Women’s Network, Equal Voice and Elevate. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, travelling, and giving back to her community.

Lauren is a senior executive search consultant with 20 years of experience advising the Canadian recruitment market. Known for her sharp insight and empathetic approach, she sees herself as a passionate advocate for her clients and candidates. Throughout her career, Lauren has advised numerous organizations on shaping their strategic vision and has played a leading role in executing on those initiatives.

Active in multiple sectors including Real Estate, Investments and Financial Services, Lauren and her team are proud to deliver great leaders and build extraordinary teams. She has spoken on recruitment and search issues to a wide range of audiences.

Sari Friedman is delighted to be back at Thorek/Scott and Partners. With over 25 years of real estate and finance experience and a passion for people, transitioning into the recruitment industry was a natural fit for Sari. 

She brings multiple experiences and synergetic attributes to her role at Thorek/Scott. Having worked as an equity research associate covering real estate and REITs, Sari has a strong understanding of the real estate industry. She holds a real estate license, has actively traded real estate and is a personal investor. Sari’s technical insight combined with her outstanding business acumen, strong negotiation and research skills adds tremendous value to clients and candidates. 

Sari is well known for her caring and friendly demeanour. She is passionate about helping people with an emphasis on providing an individualized human experience. She will often go above and beyond when coaching her candidates and clients throughout the recruitment process. Sari takes the time to understand the needs of her clients and candidates and creates long lasting relationships. 

Sari graduated from University of Western Ontario majoring in Economics and earned her MBA from the University of Toronto Rotman Management Program. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, travelling and camping.

Steven is a CPA who graduated with an honours bachelors degree in business from McMaster University & from Cornell University with an Executive MBA. Before joining Thorek/Scott he spent his career in industry, building large support service teams and also taking an active role in the overall corporate recruitment functions as a VP/CFO. He prides himself as a recruiter who is transparent, a great communicator and gives honest feedback.

Steven is passionate about travelling, having visited over 130 countries, and about his Toronto Maple Leafs.

Faye Thorek is an accomplished executive search consultant with over 40 years of experience in the Canadian recruitment market. Known for her keen insight and compassionate dedication to her work, Faye envisions herself as an advocate for those with whom she conducts business. Over the years, Faye has consulted numerous companies on how to best craft their strategic vision and then taken the lead on executing that mandate. She has spoken on recruitment and search issues to a wide range of audiences.

Outside of the office, Faye is also a committed investor in people. She volunteers with Out of the Cold, Kids.now, and Bereaved Families of Ontario (BFO). She has sat on the Professional Development Steering Committee of the HRPAO. She is a former member of the Board at BFO and the North York Harvest Food Bank.

Having founded Thorek/Scott and Partners over four decades ago, Michael Thorek has been shepherding its growth ever since. Together with his wife, Michael is dedicated to building a business with humanity, innovation, and excellence at its core. A specialist in the recruitment of talent for the Financial Services Industry, Michael has currently turned his interest towards the field of Risk Management, Capital Markets and Database Marketing Analytics. A jack of many trades, Michael is also a father, inventor, scholar and scribe, who possess a keen interest in comparative religions.