The 2015 Awards Ceremony was held on June 1, 2015 during the Annual Conference in Banff, Alberta.

And the winners are...

George Kesteven Accepts 2015 Award for Excellence in Investor Relations

George Kesteven was chosen as the 27^th recipient of the Award for Excellence in Investor Relations. The Award is given by CIRI to honour individuals who have made a significant contribution to the investor relations profession and to the Institute. 

Kesteven is very well regarded in the industry and has been lauded as generous with his time, highly conscientious and professional. Particularly noteworthy is his dedication to the IR profession and commitment to sharing his knowledge with others. His longstanding support of CIRI and willingness to help others achieve excellence in IR are among the many reasons for his selection to receive this honour. 

Since joining CIRI in 2002, Kesteven has been a very active participant in the organization and has given generously of his time and experience, serving on various committees of the National Board from 2009 to 2012 and as Chair from 2012 to 2014. He is currently the Manager, Corporate and Investor Relations with Calgary-based Sterling Resources Ltd., an international junior oil and gas company. George’s 18-year career in investor relations began in 2001 with PrimeWest Energy Trust. He served as President of the Canadian Association of Income Funds (CAIF) from 2004 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008 he assumed the role of Chair.

In accepting the award, Kesteven commented: “Very few of us succeed in isolation – we rely upon the expertise and inspiration of others – and investor relations is no different...Never discount the value of support you receive from others as a major contribution to your success.”

Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations

The Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations is given by CIRI in honour of the late Belle Mulligan to recognize individuals who have shown singular leadership in one or more aspects of the practice of investor relations.

As CIRI’s first CPIR-In-Residence, Paul Carpino has demonstrated exceptional leadership by increasing awareness of the CIRI/Ivey IR Certification Program, while sharing his experience and investor relations expertise with students enrolled in the 2014-2015 program. Carpino is Vice President, Investor Relations at TELUS Corporation and has specialized in investor relations for 28 years, holding senior investor relations positions with a variety of organizations, including BlackBerry, Celestica, Tim Hortons, Royal Bank of Canada, The Barnes Organization, PC DOCS, Trimac Limited and LSI Logic Corporation of Canada. He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and earned a Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR) from the CIRI/Richard Ivey School of Business.

"It is an honour to accept an award named after Belle Mulligan, who insisted on IROs holding themselves to the highest global standard in investor relations,” commented Carpino. “Without question, Belle would have embraced The CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program not only for its pioneering role as the first of its kind in the world for the investor relations field, but also for the role it is playing in taking the standards of the investor relations profession even higher.”

CIRI Names Inaugural CIRI Fellows

The CIRI Fellowship Program is a new program recognizing leaders in the investor relations profession who, by their achievements, bring distinction to the profession and serve as role models for others. CIRI Fellows have made significant contributions to the advancement of the investor relations profession and to CIRI throughout their careers. Earning the designation of F.CIRI, the CIRI Fellow, is the highest honour for investor relations professionals in Canada.

The inaugural CIRI Fellows are:

• Mary Brebner, Retired Member, CIRI Founding Chair
• Joanne (Joey) Brown, Retired Member, CIRI Founding President
• David Carey, Senior Vice President, Capital Markets, ARC Resources
• Glenn Keeling, Retired Member
• Tracy Lutz, President & CEO, Keystone Investor Relations Inc.
• John Rogers, Vice President, Investor Relations, MEG Energy Corp.
• John Wheeler, Retired Member 

CIRI Congratulates the 2014 Certified Professionals in Investor Relations

CIRI congratulates the following individuals who have successfully completed the CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program and CIRI’s certification exam in 2014, attaining the CPIR designation:

• Rhonda Amundson, Manager, Investor Relations, TransCanada Corporation
• Carolyn Anderson, Senior Director, Marketing, Elavon Canada
• Carolyne Fowler, Principal, Finmar Financial
• Travis Griffith, Partner, Shirlaws Canada
• Stuart Kampel, General Manager, TC Pipelines LP, TransCanada Corporation
• Stephanie MacVicar, Director, Investor Relations, Newalta Corporation
• Tom McNeely, Director, Support Services, Scotiabank
• Amalia Mettimano, Manager, Business Services, Karnalyte Resources
• Paul Moon, Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, Pure Technologies Ltd.
• Helena Rebec, CAO, Photon Control Inc.
• Lalli Ruiz-Chapman, Investor & Public Relations, Frontier Merchant Capital Group
• Daniel Weinerman, Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, HudBay Minerals Inc.