The investor relations profession has grown in importance to listed companies.
Insight
It has further professionalised over the years and very few companies now employ an IRO to simply coordinate reporting for a company behind the scenes.
IR professionals are an increasingly integral part of a company’s stakeholder communications strategy, with the most senior IR Directors being sought for their strategic advice to management, or to be part of the internal senior leadership team helping companies in transition.
Recent trends have seen:
- Large cap IR teams strengthen their teams further by adding highly capable, ambitious directors to deputise for the IR lead
- Small cap companies recognise the value of in-house IR to help address specific register and liquidity challenges, hiring IR leads on a permanent basis
- IPO companies requiring experienced professionals to assist in managing and refining the equity narrative and to establish the IR function post listing
- IR remits broaden to take on ESG reporting and ensure sustainability strategy is integrated to overall corporate strategy
- Above all, companies want experienced professionals who can translate a company’s financials into clear narrative, but who can also provide market views back into a company
