Yvette Lokker, who became President and CEO of CIRI on January 1, enjoys hiking on the weekends with her h

usband and three small sons. Recently, Lokker’s family embarked upon a new hobby: geo-caching – a form of online treasure hunt made possible by GPS technology.  

When Lokker read about geo-caching in a magazine, she thought that it might add a novel twist to her family’s weekend hikes. Identifying sites where trinkets, such as toy cars and rings, are hidden, through the geo-caching website and an iPhone app, geo-caching enthusiasts then sign a log book and replace the trinket with a contribution of their own. Lokker’s family now sometimes spends as much time locating the containers holding hidden prizes as they do actually walking the two-to-three kilometers necessary to arrive at a destination.

Lokker, who was born in Johannesburg to Dutch parents, moved to the Toronto area when she was three and has enjoyed travel ever since. She has visited South Africa with her husband, as well as venturing to Spain, Portugal, Holland, and France. She also loves physical activities; besides hiking, she relaxes by doing hot yoga with girlfriends.

Geo-caching, which marries the latest technological advances with an individual’s innate wanderlust, is a fitting hobby for Lokker. In her professional life, Lokker has also combined diverse interests successfully.

At Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, where she earned a chemistry degree and a business diploma, she was eager to couple her interest in chemistry with a job that allowed her to move beyond the confines of the lab and interact with people. Like many IR professionals, Lokker feels that she happened upon the profession by accident, and yet she describes investor relations as a particularly good match for her skills and personality.

A Moral Role

From her days at university, Lokker knew that she wanted a business-related role in a science company. After graduation, she began working in the communications and IR department of MDS Inc., a health and life sciences company.

To learn the IR ropes, Lokker joined CIRI, where she volunteered to organize workshops for the Ontario Chapter. She also completed the Ivey Strategic Management of Investor Relations program and the Canadian Securities course. Finally, she was fortunate to have colleagues with a wealth of IR experience: Sharon Mathers and Wilma Jacobs, whom she describes as “phenomenal role models.”

Lokker’s science background also proved extremely useful. “I could pick up information fairly quickly. That’s why you’re seeing more geologists come into the field of investor relations at mining companies. They understand the science and can speak knowledgeably to investors,” she says.

Lokker describes IR as a particularly “moral role.” She explains: “As an IRO, I think it’s important to communicate the good news and the bad news. You want to be accessible and answer questions honestly and knowledgably, which gains you credibility with the Street.”

An Entrepreneurial Workplace

After nine years at MDS, Lokker spent two years at home raising her children. In September 2008, she took a position as CIRI’s director of communications and professional development.

Joining a five-person team at CIRI after coming from an organization with over 10,000 employees pleased Lokker in unexpected ways. “I really enjoy knowing that any project you start will be your work. When you’re at a larger organization, it’s more difficult to feel connected in the same ways to the end product,” she says.

She describes CIRI as entrepreneurial and nimble – qualities she admires. “At CIRI, when you come up with something you want to do, you get to see your ideas to completion.” Thus far, Lokker’s proudest moment is the unveiling of CIRI’s certification program for IROs. She describes this as her “pet project,” one that fills a necessary void because undergraduate programs don’t teach IR skills.

Looking back, Lokker credits CIRI as an important part of her professional development. “One thing I have to say about IR professionals is that they’re very willing to give of their time and share their experiences,” concludes Lokker. “And that makes a world of difference for someone who’s new to the profession.”