Pat Marshall, vice president of communications and investor relations, has announced her retirement from Cineplex, effective June 1, 2018, after 15 years with the Toronto-based company.
Marshall has run IR and communications at Cineplex since before the company’s IPO in 2003. She received the lifetime achievement award at the IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2017 for her outstanding contribution to IR over a career spanning more than 20 years.
Speaking to IR Magazine at the awards last year, she offered advice to IR professionals who have recently joined the profession. ‘Absolutely get out to the seminars, the conferences, the events that are put on in the community, join the [CIRI] boards either locally or nationally, and meet the other IROs,’ she said. ‘They are an extraordinarily generous group of people and you’ll have a lot of fun, but it’ll also be a great career development opportunity for you.’
Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob said at the time: ‘I’m very, very proud of Pat for receiving this award. She is an awesome individual to work with.’
Marshall was also a judge for the IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2018. Asked last year whether it is possible to enjoy a roadshow, she told IR Magazine: ‘I think it’s impossible not to have fun.’ Her preferred activities include catching a Red Sox game when in Boston, and eating at a few favorite restaurants in New York, she said.
‘When you and your business colleagues are glued to each other’s hips, you have to lighten up and laugh at yourself,’ she added. ‘It makes for easier travel, which makes for better meetings. People have to know the team is cohesive. We have fun together, and the investors know that. We respect each other and can finish each other’s sentences. Investors know that, too, and it helps to present the company in a better light.’
Marshall tells IR Magazine she plans to take time off to travel and may look into project work later.
Sarah Van Lange, director of communications with Cineplex, says in a statement about Marshall’s retirement: ‘The news comes to us with mixed feelings, because we’re excited for Pat as she takes on this new exciting chapter in her life but we’re also sad to see her go as she has been such a valued resource within the organization.
‘She has always been one of Cineplex’s key ambassadors and has been recognized externally with numerous investor relation awards, as well as her lifetime achievement award from CIRI last year. We thank her for her commitment and passion and wish her all the best in retirement.’
Cineplex is actively recruiting for a successor, Van Lange adds.
Cineplex bills itself as Canada’s largest and most innovative film exhibitor, with 163 theaters across the country and businesses in areas such as digital commerce (CineplexStore.com), food service, alternative programing (Cineplex Events), cinema media (Cineplex Media) and digital place-based media (Cineplex Digital Media).
