The UK’s representative body for IR, the Investor Relations Society (IR Society), has announced the appointment of Gary Davies as its new chief executive.
Davies will join the IR Society on July 10, succeeding John Gollifer, who has been general manager since 2012 and is to retire in the summer.
Davies brings extensive business and IR experience to the IR Society having been director of IR at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for more than a decade, in a career spanning nearly 30 years at GSK and its heritage companies.
Davies has been a committed and active member of the IR Society over the past three years and currently sits on the education and examinations committees.
He has also successfully completed the Certificate in IR, the Diploma in IR and most recently, the DELIVER program, the IR Society’s leadership program.
He has a BSc degree in applied biology and achieved an executive MBA while living in the US.
David Lloyd-Seed, chair of the IR Society, says in a statement: ‘I look forward to working with Gary, particularly as he brings his external corporate and strategic planning experience to bear as we set the course for the next phase of the society’s development.
‘I would also like to thank John for the fantastic work he has done for the society over the last six years, particularly in building our profile both in the UK and internationally. He will work closely with Gary over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover.’
Davies adds in the statement: ‘This is a great time for the IR profession and having experienced the benefits of membership, networking, education and qualifications that the society offers, I am extremely excited to build on the great work John has done.’
