IR Magazine has a long history of honoring those men, women and companies around the world that excel at investor relations. Here, we select 30 IR stars that have shone particularly brightly over the past three decades.
We’ll be posting each full profile separately, so click on each link to read more about the chosen IROs – or pick up a copy of the winter issue of IR Magazine to see the full list in more detail.
Agnico Eagle Mines has been a prolific award-winner at the IR Magazine Awards in Canada during the last 10 years, picking up 17 awards.
ARC Resources has won 26 IR Magazine Awards since 2006.
Banco Santander has had a good year. It won three awards by nomination at this year’s IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2018.
At China Telecom, the approach to investor relations is neatly summed up by the mnemonic ACT, which stands for accessibility, credibility and timeliness.
CN is no stranger to the IR Magazine Awards in Canada, having picked up 46 trophies since 2001.
Janet Craig – formerly of Fortis, Loblaw, Nexen, Nortel Networks, Angiotech and ATI – started her career in investor relations in 1995, when she says the function was still largely administrative.
Ignacio Cuenca of Iberdrola has been proving that the Spanish utility is top of its class for the past 15 years.
Wright Medical Group has won 10 IR Magazine Awards during Julie Dewey’s (née Tracy) tenure, including several wins for her personally as best investor relations officer (small to mid-cap).
Credibility is a word Carol DiRaimo, chief investor relations and communications officer at Jack in the Box, uses a lot when describing what makes a good IR program.
General Electric is the most consistent performer in IR Magazine’s global rankings.
Gunhild Grieve from RWE is another multiple IR Magazine Award winner, with an innovative approach to IR and corporate access.
Valerie Haertel has held senior investor relations positions at BNY Mellon – where she served as global head of IR until recently – State Street, Medco Health Solutions and AllianceBernstein.
As IR Magazine celebrates 30 years as the global voice of IR, Richard Jones, who heads up IR at Indorama Ventures, is marking the 20th year of his IR career.
Another regular IR Magazine Award winner, Thomas Kudsk Larsen of AstraZeneca says one of his IR highlights is maintaining relationships across his career.
Cole Lannum, senior vice president and IRO at Zimmer Biomet, brings his experience as an analyst and portfolio manager to his investor relations practice.
Karl Mahler, head of IR at Roche, kicked off his career in 1987 but switched between finance and pharma roles before finding his calling in IR.
Pat Marshall served as vice president of communications and IR at Cineplex for 15 years before retiring earlier this year.
Magdalena Moll, who reigned for 13 years at BASF before moving to OMV in 2016, is now the company’s head of corporate affairs.
For Singapore IR staple Jeannie Ong, who leaves StarHub in December after 17 years, ‘investor relations is both an art and a science’ and something that requires balance.
Oliver Schutzmann, a former IRO who now runs a Dubai-based consultancy, was instrumental in spreading the IR word in the Middle East.
I love the profession, I always have,’ says Greg Secord, vice president of IR at OpenText. But Secord, who won the lifetime achievement award at this year’s IR Magazine Awards – Canada, says the role of IR has changed dramatically in the 20 years he’s been working in the industry.
Another former IR professional, and former governance specialist at BlackRock, Mikkel Skougaard of MOL graced the cover of the spring 2017 issue of IR Magazine with his unique viewpoint on the growing convergence of IR and governance.
Geraldo Soares has worked for Itaú Unibanco for 28 years and in the IR function for 19.
As noted in her 2016 cover story for IR Magazine, Dr Elizabeth Sun, director of IR at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is a rock star of IR.
‘TD Bank has recognized that IR is an important function so there has been buy-in across the company,’ say Gillian Manning, vice president and head of IR at the bank.
Vincent Tse of China Resources Beer is head of IR at one of the 10 companies to be named best in sector in the Global Top 50 this year.
Deb Wasser of Etsy is an industry veteran who has served on both the corporate and the consultant sides of the fence.
Rolf Woller, head of IR at Continental, is a familiar figure at the IR Magazine Awards – Europe, most recently scooping the best large-cap IRO accolade at last year’s event.
A suitable final IR star comes in the form of Jacky Yung of China Unicom – and a look toward the future of IR in China.
