NIRI members elected four new board members on four-year terms at its annual meeting last week, and approved a bylaw amendment to create a seat for service providers.
The four new directors from corporate IR roles are:
- Patrick Davidson, vice president of IR, Oshkosh Corporation
- Jennifer Driscoll, director of investor relations, Dupont
- Jeffrey Smith, staff director of investor relations, FedEx Corporation
- Ruth Venning, executive director of investor relations, Horizon Pharma
Lee Ahlstrom, chief financial officer at Paragon Offshore, will serve as chair for this year, having been on the NIRI board since 2015.
In addition, Michael Becker, executive vice president of international business strategy at Business Wire, has been appointed to the board as an associate member director – a new position with a two-year term, reserved for service providers. NIRI distinguishes service providers from IR counsellors, who conduct IR activities on behalf of clients and were eligible to serve on the board prior to this bylaw change.
As previously reported, the NIRI board approved another bylaw change allowing the outgoing chair – in this case, Valerie Haertel, global head of investor relations at BNY Mellon – to remain on the board for another year. These two bylaw changes increase the number of NIRI board members from 16 to 18.
‘It gives me great pleasure to welcome these accomplished IR professionals to the NIRI board of directors,’ says Gary LaBranche, NIRI’s president and CEO, in a statement. ‘They will play a critical role in helping the board to provide strategic guidance to ensure the long-term vitality of our organization and the IR profession.’
Three individuals will be leaving the NIRI board, following the conclusion of their term: David Calusdian, president of Sharon Merrill Associates; Angeline McCabe, vice president of IR at WellCare Health Plans; and Nils Paellmann, vice president of IR at T-Mobile.
