Perhaps there are no second acts in American lives, but a number of Canadian IROs have had careers that unfold almost like five-act plays.

Take Brian Christie, Vice President of Investor Relations at Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, for example. He assumed the role of IRO in December 2012, after having already worked as a geologist, an industry journalist, and an equity analyst in the mining sector.

Christie was hired by CFO David Smith, who had followed a similar career path; Smith also joined Agnico’s IR department after spending several years as a sell-side analyst. “The company really wanted someone with technical knowledge who understood capital markets and who had relationships with investors,” says Christie.

For Christie, the career change has proven relatively smooth, thanks, in part, to his previous connections. “I know my peers and I know a lot of the CEOs,” says Christie. “That all really helps.”

A Multi-Faceted CV

A native of the Toronto area, Christie’s love for geology began with his childhood rock collection. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geology from the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, respectively, and wrote his master’s thesis on a high-grade gold zone at the Campbell Red Lake Mine.

Although he contemplated a PhD in Geology, he opted instead to work in exploration for a variety of mining companies, such as Homestake Mining Company, BHP Billiton Limited, and Newmont Mining Corp.

One of Christie’s proudest career accomplishments was working on Falconbridge Copper Limited’s discovery team at Winston Lake. In 1982, the team discovered a zinc-copper-silver deposit outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario that led to a producing mine. “We went in thinking we might kill the project, but it turned out to be a major discovery,” he recalls. “We were pretty excited when we saw the first core box.”

In 1992, after being laid off by Homestake, Christie decided to try his hand at journalism, working for The Northern Miner. During that 2½-year newspaper stint, Canadian diamond exploration took off and companies began going international, and Christie travelled frequently to South America and Africa.

On a site visit in Argentina, Christie became friendly with some employees of Canaccord Capital Inc., who subsequently offered him a job. That offer led to Christie’s spending 17 years as an equity analyst. He worked at National Bank Financial, HSBC Securities, and eventually at Desjardins. 

As an analyst, Christie particularly enjoyed the years in which gold prices began climbing after bottoming in 1999 and 2000. By the time he left to become an IRO, though, he was ready for a change. Sell-side analysis is overbrokered, he says, and he was tired of the grind of covering 15-to-16 public companies. 

A father of an 18-year-old son and a 22-year-old daughter, Christie enjoys spending time with family. He also likes both golf and fly-fishing for trout and bass. 

Learning the IR Ropes

In order to learn IR, Christie immediately joined both NIRI and CIRI. He has found these memberships very helpful, and one goal this year is to become more closely involved in CIRI meetings and activities. “I want to keep up with what’s happening in the industry and learn the trends,” he says. 

For Christie, travel continues to be a defining feature of his career. Only 27% of Agnico’s shareholders are in Canada, with 18% in Europe and 54% in the U.S. Christie feels fortunate that Agnico amassed a strong investor database prior to his arrival. “You have to try and meet as many investors as possible,” he emphasizes. “You have to be out in front of your investor base in good times and in bad.” 

Although Christie is no stranger to professional upheaval, he anticipates staying at Agnico a long while. “It’s a great company with great people,” he concludes, “and I enjoy coming to work every day.”