Ben Ashwell, editor, IR Magazine
Ben Ashwell is the editor at IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary, covering investor relations, governance, risk and compliance. Prior to this, he was the founder and editor of Executive Talent, the global quarterly magazine from the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants. Before moving to the US, Ben was the vice president and editor at Executive Grapevine, overseeing a daily news website, ten annual supplements and HR Grapevine, the UK’s leading HR and talent management magazine. In his spare time, Ben writes fiction, poetry and arts and culture reviews. Eyewear Publishing recently named him in their list of the Best New British and Irish Poets.
Andy Kramer, vice president, investor relations, iRobot Corporation
As vice president of investor relations at iRobot Corporation since June 2019, Andrew Kramer oversees the company’s investor communications. He joined iRobot after nearly five years at NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (Nasdaq: NTCT), a leading provider of network and application performance management solutions. At NETSCOUT, Kramer played an important role in advancing the IR program, highlighted by a transformative $2.3 billion acquisition that involved securing the approval of the transaction by shareholders and, in the process, increased its market capitalization from approximately $1.5 billion to approximately $4 billion.
Kramer’s experience also includes senior IR roles at Interactive Data, Sycamore Networks and ArrowPoint Communications, as well as at Sharon Merrill Associates, a nationally recognized, Boston-based investor relations consulting firm. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the world’s largest professional association for IR, from 2009 through 2013. He also served on the Board of Directors for NIRI’s Boston chapter, concluding his tenure as chapter president. Kramer also served as an adjunct professor at Boston University, teaching investor relations to undergraduate and graduate communications students from 2006 through 2017. He received a BA degree in communication as well as an MBA degree from Boston College.
Farand Pawlak, director, investor relations, Masonite International
Farand Pawlak has led the investor relations function at Masonite International (NYSE: DOOR) since July 2018. Masonite is a leading global designer, manufacturer and distributor of interior and exterior doors for the residential and non-residential building construction markets. Prior to Masonite, Farand served as the first dedicated head of investor relations for Colfax Corporation and had previously worked at Rockwell Automation. During his tenure at Rockwell Automation, he held a variety of finance roles within both the business segment and corporate finance functions, including a period of time in investor relations. He started his career with Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he was born and raised.
Farand graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and is a licensed CPA. He also holds an MFA from Columbia University in the City of New York and is an Executive MBA candidate currently enrolled in UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Farand prides himself on his interdisciplinary approach, marrying his analytical and creative backgrounds with the goal of developing compelling investor communications.
Matt Tractenberg, IR partner, Q4
Matt Tractenberg has been a senior executive providing finance and Investor Relations services to public companies, including Cisco Systems and Belden, for more than 20 years. Currently, Matt is an Investor Relations Partner at Q4, delivering IR advisory services to clients through an innovative solution titled The IR Success Platform. Previously, he served as the Vice President of Investor Relations at WestRock, a U.S. based provider of paper and packaging solutions with sales exceeding $20 billion annually.
Mr. Tractenberg has held a variety of finance roles and IR roles at companies across a variety of sectors including technology, industrial, and basic materials. He is a regular public speaker on corporate strategy, financial market structure, and corporate positioning. He holds a B.S. in Accountancy and an MBA specializing in Financial Management & Markets. Born and raised in New York, he now lives in Atlanta with his wife Paige and two children.
