Quick-fire Q&A with Thomas Kudsk Larsen: Meet the IR Magazine editorial board

IR Magazine is proud to introduce its new editorial board. It is made up of 12 seasoned investor relations professionals from across the world, each working at companies in different sectors and of varying cap sizes, but with one thing in common: a passion for pursuing excellence in the profession.

Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to all of our board members, who will have a few roles at IR Magazine. First, they will advise our editorial team about emerging trends, themes and issues facing the profession around the world. Second, they will offer their insight and expertise for articles, podcasts and videos in the coming months, with many curating our weekly Editor’s Picks newsletter from time to time. Third, they will ensure IR Magazine succeeds in its mission to help promote best practice and nurture discussion across the IR profession.

Many of the editorial board members are former IR Magazine Award winners, while others have had experience leading or representing local trade bodies such as NIRI or CIRI. Some of them may be new to you, however. In this series of articles, in a bid to get to know them better, we have asked them some quickfire questions: some related to IR, some not.

This week, we speak to Thomas Kudsk Larsen, who recently took up a new role as global head of IR at French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.

How would you sum up your approach to IR in three words?

Under-promise but over-deliver. Sorry, cheating a little by combining the words!

What’s been the biggest IR challenge of your career?

Probably to stay motivated during the Covid-19 pandemic [during which time Larsen was head of IR at AstraZeneca]. We were allowed to return to the office due to the business of medicines and vaccines, but I really dreaded the almost entirely virtual working environment and I missed the rest of the IR team, who were not in. Humans are social beings and I thrive on the right balance of deep work, studying and getting ideas and energy from colleagues.

What would you have done if you hadn’t gone into corporate finance?

Shipping was the plan when leaving high school (as you know, no-one wants to be an IR person when they grow up!). Denmark is a country of water, shoreline, islands – including the Faroe Islands and Greenland – and Viking genes, which means we are connected to the sea more than most other nations.

Larsen sits on the IR Magazine editorial board alongside:

• Adam Borgatti, senior vice president of corporate development and IR at Aecon
• Marina Calero, host of the IRO Coffee Break network and most recently head of IR at Hyve
• Nicole Chen, head of IR at CapitaLand
• David de la Roz Fernandez, director of IR at eDreams ODIGEO
• Ricardo Jimenez Hernandez, strategic adviser at Harmon and a former director of IR at Ferrovial
• Cole Lannum, acting CFO at MDVisit
• Jeannie Ong, board member at Aetrial Health and regular judge at the IR Magazine Awards – South East Asia
• Mary Winn Pilkington, senior vice president of IR and PR at Tractor Supply Company
• Lynn Antipas Tyson, executive director of IR at Ford
• Andre Vasconcellos, vice president of the board at the Brazilian Institute of Investor Relations
• Müge Yücel, director of IR and sustainability at Galata Wind Enerji