News and analysis
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People moves: NIRI New York’s Laura Kiernan takes up in-house role at Clear Channel Outdoor
Laura Kiernan, the former president of NIRI’s New York chapter, has taken up a new role as an in-house IRO at San Antonio, Texas-based advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor.
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‘I love when investors start a meeting by showing me their streak’: Duolingo’s Debbie Belevan on life after an IPO
At this year’s IR Impact Awards – US 2025, Duolingo’s head of IR Debbie Belevan swept the board, picking up trophies for best overall IR – mid cap, best IRO – mid cap and best in sector – technology. All of this came just a few years after Belevan joined the language learning app in 2021 as its VP, IR two weeks before the company’s IPO. Since then, Duolingo has seen exponential growth in both its share price and subscriber base. Debbie has become an active member of the IR community, serving as a board member for NIRI.
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The CFO: ‘You have to explain why your flavor of lollipop is the best’: Rainbow Rare Earth’s finance chief on making a complicated story simple
Most people probably don’t understand the full extent of the use of rare earth elements in their daily lives. For Pete Gardner, CFO at Rainbow Rare Earths, the London-listed mining company, explaining just how extensive their applications are is a daily conversation with shareholders and analysts.
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Innovation and capital raising: the engine for UK long-term sustainable growth
To develop an innovative idea and scale into a competitive business, entrepreneurs need capital; investors seek a vision, a way to market, credible execution, defined deliverables and risk-adjusted returns, all of which underpin long-term growth. When innovators succeed, they create growth and catalyse a broader market expansion, as seen in the US in recent years.
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Yes, Taylor Swift’s engagement is making ripples in the stock market – here’s what it means for you
In a decade already defined by wide-ranging macroeconomic shocks, IR teams may be forgiven for ignoring the news that pop princess Taylor Swift has announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. After all, this sort of thing usually doesn’t have much more impact than the celebrity sections of news sites and the social media ecosystem. However, this is Taylor Swift we’re talking about: arch-capitalist, savvy marketeer and industry-defining brand, whose net worth is estimated to be $1.6 bn (that’s enough to make her a small-cap company, in market terms). So naturally, when she makes such a…
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People moves: Centuri Holdings recruits former Equitrans Midstream IRO Nate Tetlow
US utility infrastructure services company Centuri Holdings has appointed Nate Tetlow as its new vice president of investor relations. Tetlow will take responsibility for the NYSE-listed firm’s IR program, ‘further strengthening relationships with analysts and institutional investors as the company’s primary liaison to the investment community,’ according to a press release announcing the move.
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Is it too late to relight the London listings fire? What IROs can learn from the LSE
Imagine an IPO timeline measured in weeks, not months, where your IR team crafts and delivers a compelling equity story from initial analyst briefing to the opening bell, before investor sentiment moves and the IPO window closes.
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AI for IR: How creating your own LLM could help you think and act like your investors
Recently Blackstone announced its plans to invest $500 bn in Europe over the next years. Did you see this coming and will some this capital flow into your company? Imagine if your IR department could predict with some certainty what your investors are going to think, say and do with respect to your company.
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People moves: Manuel Bösing makes IR comeback at Puma as Hippo brings in new head of IR
Manuel Bösing has returned to the IR team at Puma after several years working for fellow German companies tonies and Henkel. Formerly a portfolio manager for HSBC Global Asset Management in Germany, Bösing first worked in Puma’s IR team between November 2018 and December 2020.
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‘It’s a layup’: How agentic AI can power up your targeting process
Where can AI help IROs make better targeting decisions? It may be best served by adding an additional helping hand to your IR team. This was the focus of an IR Impact briefing, held this week in partnership with Q4, that examined the impact of agentic AI on investor targeting strategies.
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How AI and technology are modernizing the earnings call
For a long time, the quarterly earnings call has been a highly orchestrated affair. Production companies have been brought in to handle webcasts, teleconferencing and Q&A sessions, resulting in a presentation that serves its purpose, but that is expensive, time-consuming and inflexible.
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People moves: Former IRO steps up as CEO at MROH as Aimee Remey joins Inspired Entertainment
Caroll Lane, formerly vice president, investor relations at United Technologies, has been appointed as CEO of aircraft maintenance and modification provider MROH.
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What can IR teams do when Donald Trump makes demands of your CEO?
Not every company has had to field a complaint in a public forum from one of the leaders of the free world. That is until Donald Trump started his second term.
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‘A chatbot can’t capture the CEO’s voice’: The real role of AI in earnings prep
The technology can streamline the earnings process, experts agreed on a recent IR Impact briefing How can AI best be employed in your earnings preparation? According to leading IR experts, it’s best not to make a facsimile of your CEO, but the technology can certainly help save time and leave you to concentrate on more strategic activities. This was according to those speaking on a recent IR Impact briefing, held in partnership with AlphaSense and titled ‘Effective earnings preparation amid macro volatility’, who shared their insights on how to prepare for earnings season in an environment marked by constant change,…
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The art of engagement: how to build lasting shareholder relationships
Political pressure and regulatory change pose a challenge to IR and governance teams Shareholder engagement remains a top priority for companies navigating today’s complex capital markets. Proactively engaging key shareholders allows companies to communicate their long-term strategies, explain operational decisions and develop and strengthen relationships with this key stakeholder group. This need for engagement has only grown amid unstable economic conditions, including supply chain issues, inflation, tariffs, trade tensions and related market volatility. Recent anti-DE&I and anti-ESG movements, executive orders issued by the new US administration, changing proxy advisory firm policies and renewed efforts by shareholder activists all underscore the…
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As Glencore retains its London listing, is this the end of the LSE exodus?
Despite what recent headlines might have suggested, not every London-listed firm wants to jump across the pond. That’s at least the message that has been sent after mining giant Glencore announced that it would not shift its listing from London to New York, a move that has often been called for by its shareholders.
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People moves: Florent Chaix takes driving seat in Renault’s IR team as Alison Sternberg joins Shake Shack
Florent Chaix has taken up pole position in the IR team at car maker Renault, taking over as head of investor relations from outgoing chief Philippine de Schonen. Joining immediately, Chaix will work alongside de Schonen during a transition period lasting until September 12, during which time she will retain her role as director of M&A. The company adds that de Schonen is leaving the company ‘to pursue a new professional challenge’.
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Despite political noise, the stats clearly show the anti-DEI movement does not have shareholder support
The movement fell flat in 2025’s proxy season with most proposals receiving less than 2 percent investor backing Shareholders sent companies a clear message this proxy season: anti-DEI proposals do not have their backing. At 30 of the largest US companies, together worth over $13 trn, every anti-DEI proposal was rejected, with most receiving less than 2 percent support from investors, according to nonprofit Impactivize. These proposals, which aimed to roll back corporate DEI efforts, made up about 40 percent of all DEI-related proposals this year, a sharp increase from 23 percent in 2024. Despite growing . . . Enjoy access to this and…
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People moves: Julien Imbert takes off as CFO and head of IR at Brazilian airline GOL
Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (GOL) has appointed Julien Imbert as its new CFO and head of IR. In a move effective from August 4, Imbert will take over responsibility for GOL’s investor outreach and broader financial activities, the company says in a press release.
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Meme-stock mania is back, but something different is driving Krispy Kreme and American Eagle’s surge
The capital markets have been feeling a lot like 2021 recently. No, that’s not because of any political similarities, but because meme stocks are back in fashion. Again, it’s the turn of previously-struggling consumer brands and retailers to enjoy a sudden share price surge. Donut-maker Krispy Kreme, estate agent Opendoor, mortgage provider Rocket Companies and retailer Kohl’s have all seen their share prices balloon in recent weeks.
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The CFO: ‘When there’s profit, we’ll be ready’ – Norcod’s finance chief on being a pre-profit company in uncharted waters
Nordcod, listed on Euronext Growth and the Oslo Stock Exchange, is seeking to do with cod what the seafood industry has already done with salmon: turn it into a year-round, accessible food source. There are challenges, ranging from the biology of the Atlantic cod to the growing media scrutiny that surrounds seafood and fishing. Still, Stian Vollan-Hansen, the Norwegian firm’s CFO, believes that Norcod can make cod farming work – for the company and its investors, for the customer and, crucially, for the fish and their surrounding environment.
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Looking to deliver a capital market day that impresses? Read our new playbook top tips
Analysts, investors and IR professionals share their thoughts on what makes a compelling investor day in this new IR Impact Playbook, with Lumi Global
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How does your team approach scenario planning? We want to know!
Another week, another series of macroeconomic developments that are likely keeping IROs around the world on their toes. Whether it’s the latest round of proposed US government tariffs – this time on Japanese goods – or renewed conflict in South East Asia, listed companies will be working quickly to understand the potential impacts on their operations.
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People moves: New IROs in place at Ribbon and SPIE
Ribbon Communications has brought in Fahad Najam as its new senior vice president, investor relations and corporate strategy. The Plano, Texas-based communications technology company said that the move is about ‘accelerating its transformation and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders across the industry’.
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How the SEC’s ‘pendulum swing’ has realigned rules with market realities this proxy season
DE&I, ESG proposals trends and regulatory changes take center stage at Governance Intelligence briefing How is the proxy season evolving? During a recent Governance Intelligence briefing on Lessons from the 2025 Proxy Season – held in partnership with BetaNXT – Amanda Thrash, senior counsel and assistant corporate secretary at The Williams Companies, said that DE&I issues were still of central importance to investors in 2025. ‘You had large institutional investors like State Street and proxy advisors like Glass Lewis both stating that they would vote against or recommend voting against directors on boards in companies that were not 30 percent gender diverse,’ she said.…
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The quiet power of the Big Three: a new era of corporate governance
We are witnessing a quiet but seismic shift in corporate governance. Behind the headlines of stock prices and board reshuffles, a powerful trio of asset management giants – BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) – has quietly become the most influential force in the corporate world.
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As Rachel Reeves urges bankers to be less ‘negative’ on selling shares, is the UK due a retail boom?
As the UK’s Labour party deals with its fair share of crises this summer, the chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined her intention to promote long-term equity investing for retail investors.
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Muted mics, loud protests: how the rise of AGM protests is forcing companies to rethink shareholder meetings
Are we witnessing a rise in AGM protests? While often a forum for disagreements with shareholders, this year’s AGM season was characterized by a marked rise in public campaigns targeting annual meetings – particularly in the UK – each of which gained significant press attention.
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People moves: Fredrik Erlandsson steps down from NIBE Industrier as David Galison joins Stella-Jones
Fredrik Erlandsson has announced he will leave his role as head of corporate communications and IR at Swedish heating technology company NIBE Industrier at the end of the year.
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