‘There is rarely a quiet period’: What it’s like to lead both IR and corporate development

IR and corporate development are teams that march to different beats. While IR follows the steady rhythm of financial reporting, corporate development has no such pattern, bursting into life whenever a deal requires it. Despite this contrast, a small but not insignificant number of companies have decided to combine oversight of IR and corporate development in the same role. ‘It means there is rarely a quiet period, but that’s something I like,’ says Sophie Gillingham, who oversees both areas