CIRI BC Chapter Update

The BC Chapter held its first event of 2014, focusing on Corporate Governance and Shareholder Activism. Carol Hansell, one of Canada's leading experts on these topics, presented to an attentive audience of IROs, lawyers and vendors.

In a nervous market, companies with strong corporate governance are often the ones that stand out clearly as an investment of choice. Concerns regarding corporate governance are a major component of shareholder activism events. An investor relations officer is often the first person to be aware of investor concerns regarding corporate governance and can help increase shareholder confidence by ensuring the company is adopting and following best corporate governance practices. Corporate communications remains key; make certain that the company is communicating its corporate policies clearly to stakeholders. A company may be doing great ESG (environmental, social, governance) work but if the policies/philosophies of the company are not clearly stated, stakeholders may be left wondering.  

CIRI Alberta Chapter Update

CIRI Alberta kicked off its 2014 programming with a Branding A New CEO luncheon in January.  Steve Douglas, Vice President, Investor Relations at Suncor Energy Inc., Brian Ector, Vice President Investor Relations at Baytex Energy Corp., and Shauna MacDonald, Founder and Principal of Brookline Public Relations, shared their candid insights on how to start an executive off on the right foot with investors and other key stakeholders.  

All members are asked to ‘save the date’ for the upcoming CIRI Alberta seminars: 

• March 19 – A View of IR from the C-Suite
• April 16 – Attracting and Maintaining a Retail Shareholder Base 
• May 21 – Roundtable – What’s On Your Mind? (in conjunction with the Chapter AGM)

The Alberta Membership Committee continues to hold free-to-members mentorship breakfasts. The most recent seminar was hosted by Raina Vitanov, Regional Head, TMX Company Services. Stay tuned for future events!

CIRI Ontario Chapter Update

Welcome to CIRI Ontario’s Winter/Spring 2014 season! We continue our program year with exciting events designed to keep you informed and in touch, and support your professional development.

The CIRI Ontario Mentorship Program is pairing new IR professionals with seasoned practitioners who provide guidance and personal career advice through strategic, one-on-one meetings. In the last six years alone, we’ve had over 150 members participate in this invaluable program. If you’d like to sign up, please email ciriONmentor@ciri.org.

In January, Andrew Willis, Senior Vice President, Communications and Media, Brookfield Asset Management, presented A 180 Degree Perspective on Media and Corporate Communications, describing his unique journey from journalist to corporate communicator.

Our next event, IR and Social Media: Thoughts, Trends and Tools will be held on March 25. Find out about the latest trends in the relationship between social media and investor relations, including corporate disclosure, interacting with the investment community, and how to best leverage this tool in your investor relations program.

For more details on CIRI Ontario events, visit ciri.org/education/events/calendar.aspx.

CIRI Quebec Chapter Update

The Quebec Chapter recently completed its first event for 2014: What Does the Economy Hold for Us in 2014? This event was attended by over 50 people who listened to economist Carlos Leitao, Chief Economist and Strategist, Laurentian Bank Securities, talk about the current economic situation and what can be expected for this year. Attendees heard an interesting exchange between Leitao and Rene Vezina, a renowned Montreal journalist with Les Affaires.

The Quebec Chapter will hold its next event on February 13, featuring two VPs from Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin discussing SNC-Lavalin’s Commitment to Ethics Excellence and Its Impact on Investor Relations Activities.