IR Magazine was sad to learn of the passing of Elaine Wyatt on June 24. Wyatt was the founder and principal of Wyatt Strategic Communications and a CIRI board member.
She started her career as a journalist, working for the Financial Times of Canada, The Globe and Mail and The Financial Post. In 1997 she joined Blunn & Company, a boutique IR consultancy, where she developed a research methodology to determine how management, directors, investors and analysts perceive the investment merit of a company. She founded Wyatt Strategic Communications – formerly Craib Strategic Directions – in 2004 to focus on perception studies.
Wyatt first became involved with CIRI in 1998, where she proved to be a very active member. She served as the program director of CIRI Ontario from 2006 to 2009 and chapter president in 2010 and 2011. She was co-chair of CIRI’s national issues committee and served on the board for the last five years. In 2011, she received CIRI’s award for Excellence in Investor Relations.
‘Elaine will be deeply missed,’ says Yvette Lokker, CIRI’s president and CEO. ‘People who know her well know she was very passionate and enthusiastic. If she talked about a topic near to her heart – like ESG – you would know it really meant a lot to her because of her enthusiasm. She was also a straight shooter and wasn’t shy about disagreeing with you, but she was always respectful. She has been very instrumental in inspiring the strategy of [CIRI] over the last five years.’
Chaya Cooperberg, chief communications officer and executive vice president of corporate affairs at AmTrust Financial Services, says: ‘I knew Elaine for many years through CIRI, where we served together on the board. I also always chose her for investor perception surveys and, for the past few years, the writing of our annual reports. Elaine’s intelligence, insights, curiosity and personal warmth always made her stand out. On a personal level, I cherish the many conversations I had with her in which I learned about her other passions – for Africa, for archaeology and, most of all, for her family. I will miss her very much.’
Outside of her professional life, Wyatt had a keen interest in archaeology, travel and cooking. She recently received her master’s degree in archeology and served as chair of the Canadian chapter of The Explorers Club.
Our heartfelt sympathies go out to her daughter Alyna, son Brenan, grandson Riley, brother Gordon Brown, sisters Christine Soshycki and Gayle Knowles, and the rest of her family.
