With the completion of the annual reporting season I am recalling that I took on my first position in investor relations 20 years ago – and my IR career path continued uninterrupted with the exception of a couple of years spent in the dark shadows of corporate finance. One of the annual highlights of my IR and CIRI involvement over the years has been the Annual Conference, which this year will be held in Ottawa at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, June 15-17. This is CIRI’s 27th Annual Conference and it will be an opportunity to network with fellow IR practitioners, and to interact with vendors and suppliers to learn new and better ways of reaching investors and serving the capital markets.  

Although a great deal has changed over the years, I am always pleased with the benefits of attending the Annual Conference. When I began in IR 20 years ago, we relied upon phone, fax, snail mail and rudimentary e-mail to reach investors; nevertheless the importance of prompt, credible information flow was critical and remains so to this day. When I first entered the IR field in 1994 I was mentored by a senior IRO who counselled me that regardless of the messaging, IR is ultimately a people business.

Although the world has speeded up considerably, most notably with the advent of social media, ultimately we as IR professionals are dealing with people regardless of the channel of communication deployed. The CIRI Annual Conference attracts a broad spectrum of speakers whose expertise spans not only the issues of IR technology and administration, but also the behavioural aspects of what we do – in short, the people elements or what some refer to as the soft side of IR.

And perhaps most importantly, the Annual Conference is an opportunity to commiserate with fellow IR practitioners who, after all, are often the people who can best identify and empathize with the challenges of being an IRO. Some will refer to this simply as ‘networking’ but over the years I have come to understand that the Annual Conference is one of the few events where IROs can truly ‘let their hair down’ in the company of their peers before returning to the straight-laced professionalism for which they are renowned. (Last year I found myself on the dance floor learning news steps!) I view the event as analogous to an annual family reunion, as many of the individuals I have met remain friends and associates over the years.

I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Conference in Ottawa in mid-June. Based on previous experience, it is an event well worth attending, whether you are an IR veteran or new to the profession.