Best Practice IR
-
The shareholder you cannot win but cannot ignore: why IR should take a new look at the idea of passive ownership
The rise of index investing has created a strange problem for investor relations. Some of the largest shareholders on a company’s register may be investors that IR cannot persuade to buy another share. You can improve disclosure, sharpen the equity story, hold a brilliant capital markets day and convince the market that the company is materially undervalued. An active fund manager can respond by increasing their position. An index tracker generally cannot. Its mandate, rather than its conviction, largely determines how much it owns. And yet that same shareholder may have a meaningful say on remuneration, board appointments, capital allocation,…
-
Your investors are asking AI about you. Is it telling the right story?
Increasingly, investors are using generative AI to conduct preliminary due diligence, compare companies, summarize earnings calls and understand unfamiliar industries. While large language models (LLMs) do not replace fundamental research, they are rapidly becoming the first stop for many investment questions. Reflecting this shift, 30 percent of US retail investors now use AI tools to help make investment decisions, up 75 percent from a year earlier. Unlike traditional search engines, LLMs synthesize information from a network of public sources – including SEC filings, company websites, earnings call transcripts, news coverage, executive interviews and investor presentations. The more consistently your company’s…
-
The CFO: ‘The biggest lesson is not to overcommit; that’s a surefire way to lose credibility,’ says Hut 8 finance chief
Mark Eidelman, who joined energy infrastructure firm Hut 8’s IR team from NextEra Energy in June 2026, isn’t the first person to hold the head of IR position at the company. But, as CFO Sean Glennan explains, there was something of a gap between Sue Ennis’ leaving in March 2026 and Eidelman’s appointment. That’s because of how important IR is to the company, explains Glennan: management wanted to take their time to make sure the hire was just right. In the interim, Glennan himself dived right into the IR work. Here, he talks to IR Impact about taking the conservative…
-
If AI cannot understand your equity story, then neither can the market
For decades, investor relations focused on one overarching objective: shaping market perception. Companies invested in perception studies to understand how investors, analysts and the financial media viewed their strategy, competitive positioning, and long-term value creation.
-
The risk in silence: what the Gulf’s IR teams learned from war, volatility and uncertainty
It’s hard to imagine a more intense start to the lead role at an IR association than Reza Eftekhari has had as CEO of Dubai-headquartered Meira. Joining the Middle East’s IR association in October last year, he had just a few months of normality before the region – along with its stable, reliable capital markets – were plunged into uncertainty. ‘It’s been an eventful introduction, but in many ways it’s also reinforced exactly why organizations like us exist,’ says Eftekhari. ‘While the circumstances have been challenging, they’ve also accelerated important conversations about resilience, communication and the evolving role of IR.’…
-
‘Being able to teach, mentor and promote my team is the highlight of my career,’ says Pfizer’s Francesca DeMartino
In her almost three years as chief investor relations officer at Pfizer, Francesca DeMartino has already racked up two IR Impact trophies and a nomination. In an exclusive interview with IR Impact, she talks about the way the team is set up, the support that IR gets from Pfizer management and other functions across the firm – all of which comes together to allow DeMartino to implement ambitious projects beyond the bread and butter of IR. Still, it is the Street-facing side of the role – the lunches that let you get inside the minds of investors and analysts, the…
-
The CFO: ‘IR must have a strong reputation in the market. If there is trust, information flows’ says Iberdrola finance chief
Iberdrola is arguably one of Europe’s most successful companies when it comes to IR Impact trophy hauls. Ignacio Cuenca, the energy firm’s long-running head of IR, was one of IR Impact’s 30 IR stars in 30 days series – back in 2018 when we celebrated 30 years of diving into IR and recognizing the highest achievers in the profession. Fast-forward to 2026 and the Spanish energy giant is once again leading the shortlists for the IR Impact Awards 2026, nominated in five categories, as is Swiss-based office operator International Workplace Group. As we approach finding out which of Europe’s companies…
-
‘We’ve made a point of finding unique and creative IR experiences to meet user-investors,’ says Reddit’s Jesse Rose
Jesse Rose moved from FP&A to IR at Reddit ahead of the firm’s $748 mn IPO in 2024 – an event that brought many of the social network’s loyal users in as shareholders. The company went on to win the IR Impact Award for best shareholder innovation a year later, with Rose taking the Rising Star trophy as well. Here, he talks to IR Impact about how the firm engages with its ‘user-investors’ and how its creative, open approach has become a model for other companies looking to build meaningful relationships with retail shareholders. He also talks about what he…
-
People moves: New IR lead at Lincoln International as firm goes public on the NYSE
Alexandra Deignan has revealed her new role as chief marketing officer and head of investor relations at Lincoln International – a little over a week after the firm rang the bell at the NYSE to signal its market debut. ‘If you know me, you know I like taking on a new challenge,’ she writes on LinkedIn. ‘Last week I began a new chapter as chief marketing officer and head of investor relations at Lincoln International. Just before the NYSE bell ringing for Lincoln’s IPO was an exciting time to join! ‘This transition comes after nearly nine wonderful years at Lazard.…
-
Standard Chartered taps IR for new group CFO role
Standard Chartered has named Manus Costello as its new group CFO, having joined the Hong Kong-headquartered, global banking group in 2024. Based in London, Costello had joined the bank as global head of investor relations, bringing with him more than two decades of experience in equity research. He now joins the management team and the board as an executive director, subject to regulatory approval. ‘I am delighted that Manus has agreed to take on the role of group chief financial officer,’ says Bill Winters, group chief executive, announcing Costello’s new role at the firm. ‘Since joining Standard Chartered two years…
-
Long live the investor day! How dedicated websites are turning one day into a year-round engagement opportunity
When you have an event that might happen once every few years, that event must shine. For IR, investor days offer a rare opportunity to reset the narrative, deepen investor understanding and showcase long-term strategy beyond quarterly earnings cycles. And with all the effort that goes into an investor day, companies are realizing they can do more to make that day live longer. This was the topic of a recent IR Impact Briefing, sponsored by Equisolve, and titled Making your investor day work beyond the event. You can listen back online now to hear from Brad Burke, head of investor…
-
The language of the Street and the lab: What the CFO of Roche looks for from his head of IR
IR alumni from Roche – the 130-year-old Swiss pharmaceutical – include Dr Karl Mahler, Thomas Kudsk Larsen, Nina Goworek and Dr Gerard Tobin. Dr Bruno Eschli, the company’s IR lead for more than four years, delivers an impressive mix of capital markets and science – including an immunology PhD in the lab of Nobel laureate Rolf Zinkernagel and Hans Hengartner. Given this impressive list – and the many more high-IR achievers to come out of the Basel-headquartered firm, what does CFO Dr Alan Hippe look for from his head of IR? As Hippe explains in his profile for The CFO…
-
‘Good disclosure does not replace good strategy’: Author and IR Impact Awards judge Nana Li on navigating ESG in Asia
From investor expectations to how companies should be talking ESG, Nana Li is all about sustainability. The author recently released her book titled Navigating sustainability in Asia: A practical guide for leaders and investors and has joined the judging panel for the IR Impact Awards – Greater China. In her day job, Li is head of sustainability and stewardship for Asia Pacific at London-headquartered Impax Asset Management, where she plays a key role in engagement, strategy and policy conversations between investee companies at the $29.5 bn manager. We talk to Li – while wearing her writing hat, speaking independently from…
-
The CFO: ‘The pipeline drives value; I rarely get questions on cash flow,’ says Roche finance chief Dr Alan Hippe
The pharmaceutical company’s CFO on an unconventional path to the C-suite, what it means when investors trust you can generate enough cash and why corporate purpose is part of the fabric of Roche When you’re the CFO of a 261.6bn Swiss franc ($333.5 bn) market cap pharmaceutical giant like Roche, you don’t necessarily have to be ‘the roadshow guy’. Instead, Dr Alan Hippe tells IR Impact that what he loves about the IR work he does are conferences – which are ‘super efficient’ – and investor one-on-ones, which allow you to make a real difference in investor opinion. In…
-
People moves: Anil Gupta leaves IR team at Coinbase
After five years at crypto exchange Coinbase, Anil Gupta has announced that he is stepping back from his vice president, investor relations role. ‘As many of you know, after five-plus years with Coinbase, I’ve decided it’s time for a new adventure – I’ll be taking some time off before taking my next step,’ he writes on LinkedIn. ‘From the direct listing, to 20+ earnings calls, to getting the first crypto company into the S&P 500, it has been an incredible ride. I’ve had the good fortune of building and working with an incredibly talented team and know that I’m leaving…
-
‘We turned our château into a shelter for refugees as the share price fell 48 percent:’ Eugeniu Baltag on the highs and lows of wine IR
If you follow Eugeniu Baltag, the engaging IR and M&A director at Purcari Wineries, on LinkedIn, you’ll know he’s been on a bit of a retrospective. From sticky-note IR to the latest M&A or a post on the double-whammy crisis of the pandemic and the Ukraine war, his musings are interesting, informative, funny and told with warmth. We caught up with Baltag to hear some of his tales from the front line of IR firsthand. While some are dramatic and some incredible, others might make other IROs green with envy (wine tasting château site visit, anyone?)
-
‘The best IROs treat disclosure as a strategic asset’: TMX’s Omar Khafagy on award-winning IR
Leading investor relations professionals are increasingly adding strategic strings to their bow, both by leveraging their existing resources for impact in the capital markets and through gaining internal buy-in.
-
‘It’s a matter of understanding how their industry is evolving’: Great-West Lifeco’s Shubha Khan on working with the sell side
With market dynamics continuing to impact how the sell side operates, many IR teams are having to adjust their interactions with analysts in order to make the most of their relationships with them.
-
‘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 large for the profession: volatile markets, the expanding influence of AI on investment decisions and the advent of 24-hour trading and tokenized securities all promised to change the day-to-day work of IROs. For the 100-or-so IROs in attendance, the event provided an opportunity for professionals to discuss…
-
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.
-
‘IR teams are being juidicious about management’s time’: RBC Capital Markets’ Lisa Guarini on corporate access
As recent IR Impact research has shown, IR teams are increasingly picking and choosing where they deploy management when meeting their shareholder constituents out on the road.
-
‘At the end of the day we’re selling trust’: FedEx’s Matt DeBerry on the key to investor engagement
One of the keys to any successful IR program is building a working relationship with your shareholder community and ultimately fostering trust with the market.
-
‘We’re in a world where AI adapts to your workflow’: Q4’s Darrell Heaps at the IR Impact Forum – AI & Technology Europe
With IR teams becoming more adventurous in their experimentation with AI, many are finding new and nuanced ways to employ the technology to improve their workflows.
-
‘AI increasingly mediates the conversation with investors’: IDX’s Simon Gittings at the IR Impact Forum – AI & Technology Europe
With the role of the corporate website evolving in a post-AI world, IR teams are grappling with the challenge of making sure they are the authoritative source of information about their company in the market.
-
‘The relationship side of IR is still key’: MUFG Corporate Markets’ Gustav Pegers on the role of AI
It is often said that, for all of the innovation that AI can offer IR professionals, the key to successful communications with the capital markets will always be reliant on relationships.
-
TD Bank and Skeena Gold & Silver the cream of the crop at the IR Impact Awards – Canada 2026
TD Bank emerged at the head of the pack of Toronto-listed companies at the IR Impact Awards – Canada 2026, scooping five awards at the gala evening that recognized the country’s leading investor relations teams.
-
‘It’s fascinating to hear how people are using it’: Getech’s Irina Logutenkova at the IR Impact Forum – AI & Technology Europe
Understanding how the buy and sell side are using AI to improve their investment decisions is something that is key for IROs to grapple with, else they face missing their main audience’s key expectations.
-
‘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 track. This balancing act was at the heart of discussions at the IR Impact Think Tank – West Coast 2026, where senior in-house IR leaders gathered at the El Prado Hotel, Palo Alto for a day of candid conversations about the challenges and opportunities shaping…
-
The CFO: ‘Nothing opens a presentation better than something from r/dadjokes,’ says Reddit finance chief
Drew Vollero, CFO at Reddit, is used to doing things a little differently. He oversees the finance function at the social media giant at a time when its investor relations team are receiving plaudits for their unique approach to shareholder communications. The firm took home two trophies at last year’s US IR Impact Awards – for best innovation in shareholder communications and the coveted rising star award for Jesse Rose. Ahead of this year’s event, Vollero talks about where recognition like this fits into Reddit’s measure of IR success, how his own approach to IR has evolved across a career…
