IR Think Tank

Bryan Spillane, managing director, head of Americas equity research, Bank of America

Moderator: Justin Devery, director, research portfolio strategy, Bank of America
Ohsung Kwon, director, US equity and quant strategy, BofA Global Research
Liz Everett Krisberg, managing director, deputy director of BofA Global Research and head of Bank of America Institute, Bank of America

Steve Wade, head of content, IR Impact

The proposed changes to tariffs, regulation and other areas by the US administration makes telling your story as a public company harder than ever. With uncertainty high, investors and analysts need more communication and engagement than ever to be convinced by your investment thesis. In this session, hear insights on how the market is reacting to Donald Trump’s agenda and best-practice advice for crafting your message.

• Learn how to build your message amid market uncertainty
• Hear communications strategies for different sectors
• Understand how to position your stock if M&A activity picks up

Moderator: Steve Wade, head of content, IR Impact
Rebecca Corbin, founder and CEO, Corbin Advisors

With heightened complexity and uncertainty shaping today’s operating environment, investors are recalibrating valuations faster than before, shifting both the metrics they focus on, and the time spans they weigh. As a result, investor engagement and communication strategies need to adjust real-time and leverage forward looking approaches to targeting and segmentation, agile narrative and content, and channels and tactics to maintain a resilient valuation. In this session, you will hear about:

• Five key macro factors investors are focused on in the future operating environment
• How to develop a forward-looking valuation architecture
• Deliver greater impact from your program through next-generation engagement and communication strategies

Moderator: Laurie Havelock, editor, IR Impact
Julie Chariell, senior vice president and head of IR, Fiserv
Mark Hayes, partner and head of Breakwater Capital Markets

Moderator: Paul Van Cura, managing director, equity advisory sales, BofA Securities
Vanessa Barrett, director of investment research, EMEA, Wellington
Mark Flannery, head of US long short equity investment teams, Point72
Peter Goodwin, chief investment officer, Longaeva Partners
Matt Simon, head of Ashler Capital

For IR teams, a major challenge is securing meetings with the right investors who can be long-term partners of the business. Often, the meetings they receive at conferences and on roadshows don’t align with their targeting objectives. In this fireside chat, seasoned financial services leader and CEO of OpenExchange, Mark Loehr, discusses why it’s so hard to get the meetings you want, the changing landscape of corporate access and practical advice for using technology to enhance engagement with institutional investors and sell-side analysts. In this session you’ll learn:

• Advice for attracting interest from long-only funds
• Understand emerging trends in corporate access
• Best practices for incorporating video into IR communications

Moderator: Steve Wade, head of content, IR Impact
Mark Loehr, CEO, OpenExchange

What are the characteristics that set apart the world’s top IR programs? How do they approach IR strategy, earnings, sell-side engagement and other key subject areas? Ahead of the IR Awards – US 2025, which take place in the evening after this forum, we’ve gathered a panel of highly ranked IR professionals to set out how they differentiate themselves in a crowded and competitive marketplace.

• Understand what sets apart good and great IR
• Learn how top-performing IR teams develop their strategy and calendar
• Hear best practices for tracking IR success

Moderator: Tim Human, events editor, IR Impact
Andrew Posen, vice president, head of IR, WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone
Tiffany Willis, senior vice president, investor relations, Starbucks

What are the most effective ways to identify and target new investors that are a strong fit for your business? It’s a perennial challenge for IR teams, made even tougher by market uncertainty and the intense focus on large-cap technology stocks, meaning other sectors can be left in the shade. In this session, hear from companies in different market-cap bands about how they find new investors, pitch their story and convert them into shareholders.

• Learn how to identify investors that suit your company’s profile
• Get tips on how and when to pitch your story for most impact
• Hear how to drum up investor interest in unloved sectors

Moderator: Steve Wade, head of content, IR Impact
Victoria Hyde-Dunn, vice president, investor relations, Informatica
Jesse Rose, head of investor relations, Reddit

AI tools promise to help IR teams be smarter and more efficient, but where are they actually delivering value today? In this final session, we cut out the crystal-ball gazing and focus on tried and tested applications of AI for IR. Hear IR professionals at the cutting-edge of AI use explain which tools they use, where they find the most value and how you can get started at your own company. Plus, learn how automation is helping IR teams save time and boost productivity.

• Learn about simple AI use cases you can deploy immediately
• Understand which AI tools are adding the most value for IROs
• Get started even if your company lacks a secure, internal environment

Moderator: Tim Human, events editor, IR Impact
Bryan Kloster, IR manager, AutoNation
Gregg Lampf, vice president of investor relations, Ciena