CIRI Honours the 2017 Award Recipients
The 2017 Awards Ceremony was held in June at the Annual Conference in Kelowna, British Columbia.
And the winners are...
Award for Excellence in Investor Relations
Chaya Cooperberg was chosen as the 29th 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.
Cooperberg is highly regarded in the investor relations profession and has been a significant contributor to CIRI and the issuer community as a member of the CIRI National Board and supporting Committees, former member of the CIRI Ontario Executive, frequent speaker and IR columnist for Listed Magazine.
Cooperberg is AmTrust Financial’s Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs; she oversees the investor relations, public relations and employee communications programs for the company. She has experience in managing IR and corporate communications programs for publicly traded companies in the U.S. and Canada.
Colleen Vancha (left) announces Chaya Cooperberg (right) as the recipient of the 2017 Award for Excellence in Investor Relations.
The 2017 Award is a beautifully sculpted crane.
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 a leader and innovator in investor relations, Isabelle Adjahi delivers best-in-class investor relations programs and introduces new practices, including ‘call and learn’ events to educate the investment community on areas that impact her business. She earned recognition as “Best IRO” at the IR Magazine Awards - Canada 2016 and 2007 and was instrumental in establishing the Mentorship Program for CIRI Quebec.
Adjahi is the Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications at WSP Global Inc. She joined the company in 2011 as Director, Communications and Investor Relations. She has experience in various fields, including equity and debt financing, takeover bids, mergers and acquisitions, debt holder relations and product acquisition, as well as overall communication with current and potential investors, analysts, media employees and other stakeholders. She holds a Masters in Foreign Languages and Literature from the University of Lyon (France), is past president of CIRI Quebec and has won several IR Magazine Awards.
Adjahi was unable to accept her award in person; she sent a very heartfelt acceptance via PowerPoint presentation, delivered by Yvette Lokker, in which Adjahi notes: “It is humbling for me to be recognized for a profession I have been doing with passion for so many years. I am also blessed to have been supported by an excellent network of fellow IROs, an outstanding team and great bosses who always welcomed new approaches and enabled me to challenge the status quo.”
CIRI Recognizes Four Distinguished Investor Relations Professionals
The CIRI Fellowship Program, launched in 2015, recognizes 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 2017 CIRI Fellows are:
- Bob Tait, President, T8 Investor Relations
- Lorne Gorber, Executive Vice President, Global Communications & Investor Relations, CGI Group Inc.
- Greg Waller, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Strategic Analysis, Teck Resources Limited
- Nancy Woo, Consultant, Nancy E. Woo Consulting Inc.
Congratulations to 20-Year Membership Pin Recipients:
Linda Armstrong, CPIR Mary Brebner, F.CIRI
Jo Mira Clodman, F.CIRI Thane Fotopoulos
Sharon Loung Roy MacDonald
David Mann Dave Moneta
Jerry Ormiston John Rogers, F.CIRI
Bob Tait, F.CIRI Colleen Vancha, F.CIRI
Raina Vitanov Ken Wetherell
Ann Wilkinson Nancy Woo, F.CIRI
Congratulations to 10-Year Membership Pin Recipients:
Rob Buchanan, CPIR Hugh Harley
Denis Jasmin Pat Marshall
Ryder McRitchie Sonya Mehan, CPIR
Susan Muir Odette Ries Bustin
Laurie Thomas Letitia Wong-Cornacchia