IR Leader
February 24, 2015
Looking to take your career to the next level? Accelerate your career and expand your network with the CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program.

"I thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from the CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program. It gave me the opportunity to connect with IR professionals from across Canada, in addition to learning from the highly regarded faculty at the Ivey Business School.  I took away something meaningful from every session."
      Nathalie Megann
      Director, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
      Chorus Aviation Inc.

Registrations are now being accepted for the next session, beginning September 2015. Click here for more information on the Belle Mulligan Scholarship and the application requirements. The deadline to apply for the 2015-2016 class is July 15, 2015.

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Award season is upon us and it is time to recognize your colleagues or yourself for exceptional contributions made to the IR profession.
 
CIRI is calling for nominations for the Awards programs listed below. As well, CIRI is introducing the CIRI Fellowship Program - new in 2015.  

CIRI Fellowship Program

The CIRI Fellows is the highest distinction for investor relations professionals in Canada. Fellows have made significant contributions to the advancement of the IR profession and CIRI throughout their careers. This prestigious, honourary designation recognizes CIRI members who, by their achievements, bring distinction to the profession and serve as role models for other IR professionals. 
Nomination Deadline: March 23, 2015
Click here to download the Nomination Form.
 

Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations

This Award is given in honour of the late Belle Mulligan to recognize individuals who have shown singular leadership in one or more aspects of the practice of IR. This could include, but is not limited to, new or improved applications of technology, progressive approaches to disclosure, outstanding mentorship, or remarkable leadership in many other aspects of IR. 
Nomination Deadline: April 27, 2015
Click here to download the Nomination Form.
 

CIRI Award for Excellence in Investor Relations

This award is given by CIRI to honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution throughout their career to the investor relations profession and to CIRI.
Nomination Deadline: April 27, 2015
Click here to download the Nomination Form.
 

The Belle Mulligan Scholarship

The Belle Mulligan Scholarship is awarded annually to one deserving individual for participation in the CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program. This Scholarship recognizes individuals who have chosen investor relations as their career and are keen to participate in this program to help them excel, through a deeper knowledge of the key areas of this dynamic profession. 
Nomination Deadline: April 27, 2015
Click here for more details and to apply.
 
If you know of a CIRI Member that you think would make a worthy candidate for any of the above awards, please take a few moments to complete and submit the application form by the prescribed nomination deadline.  
 
We welcome and encourage your submission.

Top Stories

Canadian Securities Regulators' Review Finds Medical Marijuana Business Disclosure Deficient

Members of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today released CSA Staff Notice 51-342 Staff Review of Issuers Entering Into Medical Marijuana Business Opportunities, which summarizes the CSA's findings and disclosure expectations for reporting issuers contemplating involvement in Canada's medical marijuana industry.

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Canadian Regulators Adopt Changes to the Exempt Market Regime

On February 19, 2015, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) announced the adoption of amendments to the following exemptions currently contained in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions (NI 45-106): the accredited investor prospectus exemption (AI Exemption), the minimum amount investment prospectus exemption (Minimum Investment Exemption) and the short-term debt prospectus exemption (Short-Term Debt Exemption). The amendments include consequential amendments to Companion Policy 45-106CP Prospectus and Registration Exemptions.

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Cooperation Key in Canadian Securities Regulators' Fight Against Wrong-Doing

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today released its seventh annual Enforcement Report that emphasizes the collaboration and cooperation among CSA members and between CSA members and local, national and international organizations in targeting illegal activities in Canada's capital markets.

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Canadian Securities Regulators Adopt Changes to the Accredited Investor, Minimum Amount Investment and Short-term Debt Prospectus Exemptions

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today announced the adoption of two sets of amendments to National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions (NI 45-106).

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Equity Crowdfunding Rules Expected in Summer 2015

In a release issued today, the Ontario Securities Commission advised that the participating jurisdictions of the Canadian Securities Administrators are still reviewing the comments received on a proposed crowdfunding regime and an offering memorandum prospectus exemption. In its release, the OSC stated that its goal is to publish proposed rules regarding these matters either in final form, or if warranted, for a second comment period, in summer 2015.

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Incentivizing Reports of Misconduct: The OSC Proposes New Whistleblower Program

Citing the success of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program which has operated since 2011 in the United States, the Ontario Securities Commission (the OSC) has proposed a new Whistleblower Program that would reward eligible whistleblowers with up to $1.5 million for information which leads to the prosecution of a serious financial crime. The OSC's Staff Consultation Paper 15-401 - Proposed Framework for an OSC Whistleblower Program released for comment on February 3, 2015, describes a program that, if successful, would be the first whistleblower program by a Canadian securities regulator to offer a financial incentive to tipsters for potential information.

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HP Moves Annual Meeting Online-Only as CEO Face Time Fades

Hewlett-Packard Co will become the largest company to hold an online-only annual shareholder meeting this March, joining a trend toward virtual conferences that some activists worry keeps CEOs off the hotseat.

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Your Board Should Think Like Activists

With more than two centuries of making everything from gunpowder to nylon and Tyvek, Dupont Co. has renewed its product lines many times. Now it is being pressed to renew its governing board as well. Its directors have turned over many times, of course, but Trian Fund Management, led by activist Nelson Peltz, is pressing for far more than a routine remake, demanding four seats of its own choosing at the table. This despite Dupont's strong results over the past two years, its stock outperforming the S&P 500 index by 47 percent. Dupont did not give in to Nelson Peltz's demands, but it did make big changes in its board.

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SEC Proposes Hedging Disclosure Rule for Directors',Employees' Company Stock

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a rule to require public companies to disclose whether they allow their officers, directors and employees to hedge against declines in the company stock.

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OSC Staff Consultation Paper 15-401 - Proposed Framework for an OSC Whistleblower Program

The OSC is considering introducing a Whistleblower Program to encourage individuals with knowledge of possible breaches of Ontario securities law to report this information to the OSC. A Whistleblower Program is one of a number of initiatives by the Enforcement Branch aimed at resolving enforcement matters more quickly and effectively, including no-contest settlements, a clarified process for self-reporting and enhanced public disclosure of credit granted for cooperation.

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