Winners announced for inaugural IR Magazine Awards – Small Cap

Three companies can proudly call themselves winners of the first ever IR Magazine Awards – Small Cap.

Awards were presented in three categories: best IR by a senior management team, best IR by a small-cap company under $500 mn and best IR by a small-cap company between $500 mn and $1 bn.

The awards were presented in association with OTC Markets and were hosted at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Altus Group took home the award for best IR by a senior management team. The judges were particularly impressed with the company’s efforts in revamping its disclosure and engaging the Street to raise its visibility and communicate a change in its business model. This effort led to a 50 percent increase in share price over the last three years.

Stoneridge was the winner of the best IR by a small-cap company (under $500 mn) award. The company was praised by the judges for revamping its marketing materials around earnings calls, conferences and non-deal roadshows, which has garnered positive feedback from the company’s existing analysts and attracted investment from new firms.

Banc of California won the final award for best IR by a small-cap company ($500 mn-$1 bn). Its IR team was recognized for handling a tumultuous year, including the unexpected turnover of its CEO and CFO, and a board refreshment program that changed five of the nine company directors. 

Nominations were open between July and August 2017. IR Magazine welcomed self-nominations and nominations by proxy, and an esteemed judging panel reviewed the short lists and selected the winners. The judges were:

  • Ben Ashwell, digital editor, IR Magazine
  • Julie Tracy, senior vice president and chief communications officer at Wright Medical Group
  • Rebecca Updegraph, president of NIRI’s New York chapter
  • Steve West, most recently of Panera Bread, where he oversaw the award-winning IR program

Click here for information about future IR Magazine events and awards. 

Upcoming events

  • Briefing – Are investors finding your IR content in AI?
    Wednesday, December 17, 2025

    Briefing – Are investors finding your IR content in AI?

    In partnership with WHEN 8.00 am PT / 11.00 am ET / 4.00 pm GMT / 5.00 pm CET DURATION 45 minutes About the event AI is transforming how investors and analysts access company information. Increasingly, earnings reports, disclosures and IR websites are being read first by algorithms and large…

    Online
  • Forum – AI & Technology Europe
    Thursday, March 12, 2026

    Forum – AI & Technology Europe

    About the event Stay ahead. Harness AI. Transform IR. In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, AI is transforming how IROs engage with investors, analyze market sentiment and deliver insights. Yet, many IR teams face challenges in understanding and employing these tools effectively. WHEN WHERE America Square Conference Centre, London The…

    London, UK
  • Think Tank – West Coast
    Thursday, March 19, 2026

    Think Tank – West Coast

    Our unique format – Exclusively for in-house IRO’s The IR Impact Think Tank – West Coast will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in Palo Alto and is an  invitation-only event exclusively for senior IR officers. Our think tanks are free to attend and our unique format enables participants to network extensively, and discuss, debate and dissect…

    Palo Alto, US

Explore

Andy White, Freelance WordPress Developer London