News
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People moves: Kontoor Brands sews up Erinn Murphy as head of IR as Michael Travers is promoted at Xylem
Plus promotions for michael travers at XYLEM and Vlad Konstantinov at Celestica Clothing maker Kontoor Brands has appointed Erinn Murphy as vice president, global head of finance and operations for Helly Hansen and corporate investor relations. Moving to Oslo, Norway as part of the new role, Murphy will take on responsibilities for the Scandinavian outdoor […]
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‘We see a change in how IROs are delivering real value to the C-suite’: Four key takeaways from the IR Impact Forum – Canada 2026
The forum saw investors, senior IR leaders and C-suite executives explore new opportunities for the IR role to evolve The Canadian capital markets have undergone a significant degree of change in the past 12 months. As IROs gathered for the IR Impact Forum – Canada 2026, held at the Lumi Experience on April 2, many factors loomed […]
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Surviving the ‘agent AI vs agent AI’ paradigm in shareholder targeting
If you remember the 1999 sci-fi classic The Matrix, humanity eventually realizes that to survive in a world governed by sentient machines, they must deploy their own autonomous programs to fight back. If you have been in investor relations long enough, you might feel as though we are waking up to a similarly stark reality in 2026. We have officially entered the ‘agent AI vs agent AI’ paradigm.
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People moves: Jack Yauch joins award-winning Pfizer team, plus FedEx hiring investor relations principal
The award-winning Pfizer IR team has added Jack Yauch to its ranks, taking on the role of director, investor relations.
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AI-driven investor relations: From static targeting to agentic workflows
The philosophy of investor relations is shifting under our feet. For years, IR teams have relied on static attributes – assets under management, geography, investment style – to decide whom to target. That era is ending. A new, AI-driven approach is emerging that focuses not on who investors are, but on what they are likely to do next.
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People moves: NIRI board member Lisa Caperelli joins Ardelyx and a new name at Klarna
Plus new hires at Hudbay Minerals, Altimmune and stc Lisa Caperelli, IR Impact events speaker and NIRI board member, has announced a move to Ardelyx, writing on LinkedIn about her excitement to be ‘working with the team to bring innovative products to patients’ as SVP of investor relations and corporate communications. Speaking to IR Impact, […]
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Three trophies apiece for Newmark Group and Central Garden & Pet Company at IR Impact Awards – US 2026
Newmark Group and Central Garden & Pet Company emerged as the frontrunners at the IR Impact Awards – US 2026, with both companies picking up three trophies each at a gala event in New York City.
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‘I don’t think there has ever been a more dynamic time to be in this business’: Four key insights from the IR Impact Think Tank – West Coast 2026
The Think Tank saw CFOs, investors and senior IR leaders to discuss how the IR role is evolving amid changing capital markets, AI and technology The IRO role is constantly evolving. From the impact of technology and AI to shifting investor expectations, IROs spin different plates to keep their strategy coherent and their company on […]
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People moves: Joshua Levine served up as Campbell’s head of IR as Rebecca Gardy retires
Consumer goods firm The Campbell’s Company has announced that Joshua Levine will be taking over the reins of its IR team, as head of IR Rebecca Gardy retires after a six-year tenure at the firm.
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‘Be the filter, be the synthesis’: How IR teams are staying organized and informed in volatile times
At a time when geopolitical events seem more unpredictable than ever, the capital markets are in a corresponding state of flux in 2026. For any IRO trying to both parse market events for their own understanding and to keep their investors and other stakeholders well informed, it poses an increasingly complicated challenge – one that requires keeping up with sector peers and macroeconomic events externally as well as keeping internal audiences abreast of developments.
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How IR teams are driving value with market intelligence in an increasingly passive market
The structure of the global equity market has transformed dramatically over the last three decades – and investor relations teams now operate in a landscape where passive capital is not just influential, but dominant. Passive strategies represented only a sliver of US equity fund assets in the early 1990s. Today, they account for more than half of the investable market, and their share is still expanding.
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Negative growth, reaching out and stakeholders: Curbing jargon in investor relations
Most investor relations officers I know are expert communicators. They tend not to rely on jargon or buzzwords to tell their stories – in fact, most of their stakeholders can see through any obfuscation, or will pick up on any woolly language as a negative indicator.
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Why stocks fall after earnings: The hidden power of tone, language and sentiment
Every quarter, many public companies face an all too familiar – and deeply frustrating – script: strong results, solid guidance, yet the stock price declines the moment results hit and the pressure continues through the next one or two trading sessions.
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Why companies and investors need AI performance scorings
During the panic of 1873, 36 percent of corporate bonds in the US defaulted and over 100 railroad companies issuing bonds collapsed. There were no scorings or ratings to objectively assess the underlying financial strength of these bonds.
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‘Start with the objective, not the technology’: Infineon’s Daniel Györy on ensuring AI drives value for his IR program
For Daniel Györy, senior director, investor relations at German semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies, AI is only worth using if it can ‘meaningfully’ improve an IRO’s day-to-day work.
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People moves: Former summer sales intern promoted to lead IR at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co
Sara Walsh, who started her Arthur J. Gallagher & Co career as a summer intern, has been named as the global insurance brokerage’s new investor relations lead. She has been with the company for almost 20 years, holding positions of increasing responsibility in corporate finance and treasury. She became a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder in 2016 and was recognized by Business Insurance as a ‘woman to watch’ honoree in 2025. ‘With Sara’s strong financial background and understanding of the capital markets, she will be a terrific leader of our investor relations, corporate finance and treasury functions,’ says Douglas Howell,…
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Moody’s leads the way with five nominations ahead of the IR Impact Awards – US 2026
GE Aerospace and Orthofix Medical follow closely with four nominations each, alongside other notable names including last year’s winners Duolingo and Reddit Financial intelligence and credit rating company Moody’s leads the pack ahead of the IR Impact Awards – US 2026, gaining the most nominations across categories such as best innovation in shareholder communications, best IR website, best sell-side […]
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Enabled from the top: Why IR success in 2026 is ultimately a C-suite decision
The IR function has always existed in the space between what a company believes about itself and what the market actually hears. In 2026, with AI tools increasing access to data, that space has become wider, noisier and far more consequential.
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Why capital allocation is the new equity story in the AI era
A familiar pattern is dominating the current earnings season: companies deliver clean beats on revenue and earnings – then see their shares wobble or sell off as management outlines higher-than-expected capex and a longer-dated investment phase. Alphabet and Amazon are prominent examples, but the takeaway for CFOs and IROs is broader: capital allocation has become the equity story. In an AI-driven market, the debate is no longer simply about growth. It’s about how that growth is funded, how long elevated investment will persist and what returns the capex is expected to generate. Investors aren’t punishing ambition; they’re repricing capital intensity,…
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US boards answer to all shareholders, not just the loudest ones
There is a growing habit – mostly American, often loud – of treating ESG as a single cultural package: climate, DEI and whatever social flashpoint dominates the cycle. It makes for sharp copy. It is also a category error in the markets where stewardship decisions are actually made. In the UK and EU, ESG is regulated process: rules, disclosures and supervisory expectations designed to surface financially material sustainability risks. Think less ‘cause’, more ‘cash flow’. Across the UK and Europe, faith-based investing has long been expressed through formal, responsible-investment practice rather than culture-war branding. Since the 18th century, Church and…
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How investor relations teams tackled roadshows last year
How long did you and your IR colleagues spend on the road last year? According to our latest research, you were travelling an average of 12.1 days for in-person roadshows in 2025 and a further 5.4 days on virtual roadshows. In total, according to our deputy editor Garnet Roach and the IR Impact research department, that means our readers spent a total of 3,520 days travelling for roadshows last year – or, if you like, a total of a decade.
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People moves: Disney brings in Benjamin Swinburne as Airbus promotes Jean-Christophe Henoux
Global entertainment giant The Walt Disney Company has appointed Benjamin Swinburne as executive vice president of investor relations and corporate strategy.
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Why IR websites are moving from ‘platform-first’ to ‘flexibility-first’ in 2026
Most corporate investor websites were built for a simpler digital era. What used to be a dedicated IR microsite – hosted separately, updated through a vendor portal and managed via templated pages – no longer meets the demands of today’s digital environment.
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How overseas investors are shaping the future of Brazil’s capital markets
No economy can develop without infrastructure. Roads, energy and technology underpin production, entrepreneurship and wealth creation. In capital markets, however, there is a less visible – yet equally essential – form of infrastructure that remains persistently underestimated: investor financial literacy.
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People moves: Karen Blomquist joins Albany International as GoldMining appoints Martin Dumont
Karen Blomquist has joined NYSE-listed materials science developer Albany International as its new director of investor relations. Formerly an investor relations consultant for BD Emerson, Blomquist joins Albany after two years as vice president of investor relations at P3 Health Partners.
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Use of the word ‘diversity’ in corporate disclosures drops sharply in 2025, research shows
New disclosure data shows how quickly corporate language can shift as boards respond to legal, regulatory and investor pressure Only 36 percent of the top 100 US companies mentioned the word ‘diversity’ in human capital management disclosures – compared to 96 percent who did so in 2024 – according to a new report which demonstrates […]
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A material focus: BlackRock refocuses its 2026 voting stance in a tumultuous proxy landscape
BlackRock’s updates its stewardship expectations for 2026 following criticism of its decarbonization plans in New York BlackRock will renew its focus on long-term financial performance and take a more pragmatic approach to environmental policies at investee companies in 2026, according to its updated US Stewardship guidelines for 2026, as proxy advisers and companies continue to […]
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People moves: Former head of IR takes over as CFO at Bank of Singapore
Bank of Singapore has appointed Collins Chin, formerly the head of IR of its parent company Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), as its new CFO. Chin joined OCBC in July 2009 as the head of group financial and management reporting, assuming the position of head of investor relations in May 2013. There, he led the Singapore Stock Exchange-listed bank’s engagement with the investment community and oversaw shareholder communications around capital raising and M&A initiatives.
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From shareholder to managerial capitalism: how proxy firm regulation and 14a-8 reform will define IR in 2026
In October 2025, Tesla CEO Elon Musk deployed provocative language characterizing proxy advisors as ‘corporate terrorists’ following ISS’s recommendation that shareholders reject his proposed $1 trn compensation package. Musk argued that ISS and Glass Lewis ‘have no actual ownership themselves’ yet effectively control corporate governance outcomes through their recommendations to investors. This identifies a genuine agency problem: proxy advisors bear no economic consequences from their recommendations.
