Research section: Comings and goings in IR

What do IROs do before and after entering the world of investor relations? ‘It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at!’ claimed Ian Brown of British band The Stone Roses. ‘Do you know where you’re going to?’ sang Diana Ross. These themes are commonplace in popular culture; it’s scarcely possible to turn on the TV without hearing some reality show contestant talk about his or her ‘journey’. It was even the title of former UK premier Tony Blair’s autobiography. And what of the IRO’s journey? Contra to Ian Brown’s dictum, it is interesting for those of us who study investor relations to find out what fields of work current IROs come from. As for the future, seeing what past IROs are doing now and how their