Severn Trent is ‘embracing’ the new normal of hybrid investor events, according to head of IR Rachel Martin.
Speaking on the red-carpet at the IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2022, where the water utility was nominated for two prizes, Martin said a hybrid approach has been used for the company’s capital markets day and results announcements.
The capital markets day, held in September last year, saw Severn Trent hold an in-person event at one of its reservoirs in the Midlands and then three virtual events for investors who could only dial in.
‘It was a huge event that required a small army to put together,’ said Martin. ‘That’s not just the IR team, it’s a lot of people in Severn Trent. We did a lot of work in-person and also made sure all our investors from around the world could join us.’
Positive outcome
Martin says taking a hybrid approach to investor engagement has been a ‘really good move’ for the business. ‘We really enjoy doing things in person,’ she said. ‘I think you get a real connection being there one-to-one with people. But also we want to make sure that we are as accessible as we can be.
‘We’ve just done our year-end results, where we did a virtual session but then we followed straightaway with an in-person roadshow to make sure we had that face-to-face connection with people.’
Martin was also asked to offer advice to other IR professionals for the rest of 2022. ‘Stay agile,’ she said. ‘It’s quite a changing market at the minute, things are happening all the time – it’s making sure we are adapting to the new world rather than fighting it.’
To find out more about the IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2022, please click here.
