Such has been the dominance of BASF at the IR Magazine Awards – Europe that two winners this year joked they thought they would never unseat the IR stalwart. But all reigns must come to an end and in 2015 Novo Nordisk claimed the grand prix for best overall investor relations by a large cap, as well as the number one spot in the Euro Top 100 rankings.
Helen James (right) of Investis presents the grand prix for best overall investor relations (large cap) to Novo Nordisk’s IR team of (from second right) Kasper Veje, Kasper Poulsen, Melanie Raouzeos, Karina Sørensen and Daniel Bohsen, with master of ceremonies Jeremy Vine (left)
The Danish healthcare company – nominated for eight awards on the night – also won best sustainability practice, best financial reporting, best IR for Northern Europe and best IR in the healthcare sector.
The event, which marked 25 years of prize giving by IR Magazine, took place for the first time at east London’s Troxy, a 1920s Art Deco cinema converted into a glamorous ballroom. Befitting the venue, the night featured a speakeasy theme with paparazzi and gun-toting gangsters welcoming guests at the entrance.
Sligro Food Group was another major winner, picking up the grand prix for best overall IR by a mid-cap. Spanish tech firm Abengoa, meanwhile, demonstrated a remarkable turnaround in investor perception by winning the small-cap grand prix just eight months after debt concerns saw the share price fall by two thirds in two days. And although BASF lost its grand prix crown, it could still leave with its head held high: the German chemicals firm walked away with four awards, including best investor meetings and best corporate governance, while slipping from first to second in the Euro Top 100.
The awards were based on an independent survey of almost 800 portfolio managers, buy-side analysts and sell-side analysts covering European companies. The IR Magazine Investor Perception Study – Europe 2015, which is available free to professional subscribers to IR Magazine, includes interviews with highly placed IR teams, investment community feedback on investor relations issues and rankings for the top 500 companies. To order your copy, please contact Andrea Pion.
Grand prix for best overall investor relations
Large cap: Novo Nordisk
What the investment community says
‘Novo Nordisk has a large and highly proactive investor relations team. The team members are a big presence at major conferences and individually are all well informed. They know every aspect of the business’ – Austria, buy side
Mid-cap: Sligro Food Group
What the investment community says
‘Sligro has the very best communication and provides depth and detail. It explains any changes in accounting and gives added market information along with company data’ – Netherlands, buy side
 Jennie Guay of Investis presents the grand prix for best overall investor relations (small cap) to Luis Quero (center) of Abengoa, with master of ceremonies Jeremy Vine |
Small cap: Abengoa
What the investment community says
‘In response to a stressful situation and loss of confidence in the financial markets, Abengoa reacted by improving the perception of the company. It flew the management team to London for meetings and produced additional material. It has since kept up that level of communication with continued good investor relations’ – UK, buy side
Best investor relations officer
Large cap: Rolf Woller, Continental
What the investment community says
‘Rolf Woller has a no-nonsense policy: straightforward answers to straightforward questions.
He’s great!’ – Switzerland, sell side
Small & mid-cap: Rui Antunes, EDP Renováveis
What the investment community says
‘Rui Antunes, IRO at EDP Renováveis, has a great knowledge of the industry’ – Spain, sell side
Best IR by a senior management team
Large cap: Nuno Alves (CFO) & António Mexia (CEO), EDP
What the investment community says
‘As one of the best companies in Portugal, EDP has a management team to match. Both António Mexia and Nuno Alves have been doing a great job over the last couple of years’ – Portugal, buy side
Small & mid-cap: João Manso Neto (CEO) & Rui Teixeira (CFO), EDP Renováveis
What the investment community says
‘When we meet the management of EDPR, we always get fair and viable answers. The overall message is highly transparent’ – Portugal, buy side
Best corporate governance
BASF
What the investment community says
‘The reason I nominate BASF for best corporate governance is because of how top management behaves and how it operates within the company. Everything seems to be done as one big team with no egos involved. It is inspiring that Kurt Bock is on record as stating that running BASF is ‘not a one-man show’ but a team effort. And I know from people who work at the company that this ethos is put into practice from the bottom up’ – Belgium, buy side
Best sustainability practice
Novo Nordisk
What the investment community says
‘Novo Nordisk is forthright about its environmental policies and its internal targets for the future of the company’ – UK, sell side
Best financial reporting
Novo Nordisk
What the investment community says
‘Novo Nordisk’s reporting is clear, concise and relevant’ – Netherlands, buy side
Ingnacio Cuenca (center) of Iberdrola accepts the award for best use of technology from Arnaud Robin (right) of IR.soft, with master of ceremonies Jeremy Vine |
Best use of technology
Iberdrola
What the investment community says
‘Iberdrola uses the internet in a way that is helpful to analysts and investors. The website is interactive and more user-friendly than others I use. You can find analysts’ consensus on there, too, which I really appreciate. There is also a mobile app, which is particularly useful for when I’m out of the office’ – Netherlands, buy side
Best investor meetings
BASF
What the investment community says
‘BASF’s whole IR package is good, with highly professional communications. It holds lots of meetings throughout the year where you have the opportunity to meet various tiers of management members who are always willing to provide information’ – Germany, sell side
Most progress in IR
Merck
What the investment community says
‘Over the past two years Merck has improved and now has a dedicated investor relations person who gets back to you quickly’ – Switzerland, sell side
Best IR during a corporate transaction
Symrise
What the investment community says
‘I hate to say it but, despite being very expensive, the Symrise acquisition of Diana was very well pitched’ – Switzerland, sell side
Best IR for an IPO
TSB
What the investment community says
‘Andrew Gillian and Martin Adams are prompt in responding to questions as both have a great knowledge of the business. They were extremely helpful during the IPO’ – UK, sell side
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Best in sector awards Consumer discretionary: Continental Alison Owers (right) of Orient Capital and the winners of the best in sector awards with master of ceremonies Jeremy Vine (left). From second left: consumer staples – Ansgar Lütke-Schelhowe of Unilever; consumer discretionary – Klaus Paesler of Continental; energy – Cátia Lopes of Galp Energia; financials – Irma de Putter of JPMorgan, collecting on behalf of Allianz; healthcare – Daniel Bohsen of Novo Nordisk; industrials – Ricardo Jiménez of Ferrovial; materials – Martin Liedemit of BASF; technology & communications – Damien Maltarp of BT Group; utilities – Ignacio Cuenca of Iberdrola Regional awards Central & Eastern Europe: ČEZ Group |
Iberdrola
Sponsors of the IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2015
This article appeared in the fall 2015 print issue of IR Magazine
