CIRI’s 28th annual conference
May 31-June 2, Banff, Alberta
Twitter: #CIRI15
Meet your co-chairs
During his 15 years as a sell-side analyst, Brian Ector got to know a lot of IROs who had active roles at CIRI, so when he crossed the fence to join Baytex Energy in 2009, he immediately got involved. Six years on, he’s conference co-chair and has a seat on the national board, not to mention a best IRO trophy from IR Magazine among the awards on his shelf.
Co-chair Shirley Chénier, senior director of IR at Bombardier, is another multi-award winner who had to contend with a hectic day job during the conference-planning phase – the past year has seen setbacks for Bombardier’s CSeries jet and a major management reshuffle.
Banff, Alberta
For both veterans and newbies
‘This year there’s a good mix for very seasoned IR professionals as well as those just starting out,’ Chénier says. For example, at the basic end of the spectrum, Ivey Business School’s Michael Sider – the conference’s third co-chair – will give a two-part writing workshop, while junior and senior IROs alike can hear two economists at once during the Tuesday morning general session.
Always a smile
The last time the CIRI conference was held in Banff was in 2005 and, as the native Albertan in this trio of organizers, Ector will no doubt enjoy showing off the beautiful Rocky Mountains backdrop. ‘Alberta is going through a challenging time right now,’ he acknowledges, ‘with oil prices lower and revenues down. But people here are generally positive about what the future will bring.’
Oil patch challenges
A lot of the networking conversations at the conference are bound to revolve around oil prices. ‘Calgary-based IROs need to be in front of their investors more than ever,’ Ector says. ‘It isn’t the time to run and hide because your stock price is down or you’ve reduced the dividend. You need the support of your shareholder base to withstand the downturn.’
Government intervention
Last year in Ottawa, there were no speakers from Parliament Hill just next door. This time the Alberta government was going to be represented by energy minister Frank Oberle. But as IR Magazine went to press, Alberta was in shock after the May election ended the Conservative Party’s 44-year dynasty and robbed Oberle of his Peace River riding, putting his CIRI conference appearance in doubt.
Tales from the top
Ector’s connections brought in another keynote speaker to this year’s conference: his chief executive, James Bowzer, who was new to both Canada and to Baytex Energy when he joined the company from Marathon Oil less than three years ago. Having steered through last year’s C$2.6 bn ($2.2 bn) acquisition of Australia’s Aurora Oil & Gas and then ridden the oil downturn, Bowzer is expected to have some good stories. ‘There hasn’t been a single day I could call boring since he got here,’ Ector laughs.
Debate club
New and contrasting perspectives run throughout this year’s CIRI program, including a sell-side panel with trading, sales and origination alongside two research analysts; and a healthy discussion (if not outright debate) when Toronto Stock Exchange faces off against Canada’s new Aequitas NEO Exchange.
Size & scope
CIRI CEO Yvette Lokker hopes for 230 attendees, in line with recent years’ conferences, despite all the challenges facing western Canada’s resource sector. She adds that the exhibitors’ hall is filling up with sponsors including new ones like Meetyl, a San Francisco-based corporate access platform, and NovaShare, a proxy voting data provider.
This article appeared in the summer 2015 print issue of IR Magazine
