Downtime and virtual team events help keep burnout at bay
After starting his career in the corporate and securities law group at Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Shalomi Abraham’s interest in investment funds led him to an in-house role at global investment management firm, Invesco Canada, 12 years ago.
Abraham gradually worked his way up the ranks at Invesco — touching on almost every aspect of the business as he did so — and took the role of general counsel in January, 2019. As SVP, head of legal for Canada, he is responsible for the delivery of legal services and advice for the entire Canadian business which consists of three primary business lines: the distribution of mutual funds, the ETF Exchange traded fund business in Canada, and institutional and alternative products. He also has a responsibility around board management and litigation, and regulatory relations.
Abraham has found mentorship to be a critical factor in his career success.
“The best advice I can give is to find a mentor who will help you throughout your career,” he says.
The pandemic crisis presented some challenges to Abraham and his team, despite a seamless transition to a remote working environment in March.
“I do want to make sure the folks on my team don’t burn out because there isn’t that separation. When the computer is always there, it’s like you’re always at the office,” he says. “We have been fairly busy supporting the business during this time as the markets have been up and down and the regulatory landscape has been impacted.”
Ensuring his team has sufficient rest has been a priority for Abraham, together with maintaining a strong collegial culture for the long-term. Frequent communication in the form of Zoom meetings helps the team to stay connected and maintains the culture of the organization to replace water-cooler conversation.
Virtual events have also become a regular feature, such as an online games afternoon that was held during the summer, in place of Invesco’s usual summer party. The team is now planning a virtual celebration instead of the usual holiday lunch.
Building efficiencies with the help of new technology is always top of mind for Abraham as he seeks new ways to deliver advice. The nine-person legal team at Invesco has been making use of a workflow automation tool for regulatory filing, for example. Abraham is also considering other new technology which could help the team, moving forward.
“Our mantra at Invesco is to continue to serve our clients in a fast way and give them a superior investment experience, so for the legal department, it’s about continuing our service delivery efficiently, and continuing to innovate,” says Abraham.
