Co-chair Letter

There seems to be an ever-growing number of factors and distractions that influence the life of an investor relations practitioner. Whether it’s the continual shift from active to passive investment strategies, the increased influence of ESG and sustainable development oriented funds or the emergence of different investment options like ETF’s and liquid alternative funds; then add in the changing regulations that influence the way we engage with investors (i.e. MiFID), an IRO’s job is never boring.

As the old adage goes “change is the only constant in life”. What that means for those at the helm of investor relations is quite often some form of bad weather is attempting to blow your company off course and onto the rocks. As a result, it’s a constant challenge for the IRO to navigate their way forward through rough waters and keep their company safely on course to its desired destination.

With CIRI’s 2019 Annual Conference being held in Halifax, and with a title theme of “Staying on Course”, it’s hard not to weave in some nautical terminology as we highlight what your voyage at the conference will have in store for you.

There are a lot more factors than the short list discussed above that an investor relations professional has to address as they guide their company forward. We are very excited about the range of sessions we have planned for the Conference that will help you keep your IR program shipshape and seaworthy. You will have an opportunity to hear from several keynote speakers including:

  • Scott Balfour, CEO, Emera
  • Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner & Co-founder, ETFGI
  • Colleen Johnston, Board of Directors, Shopify and WestJet

You will also hear from Board members, fund managers, research analysts, capital market experts and governance specialists as well as fellow IROs from a broad range of industries and market caps. We’re certain it will be a valuable (and educational) use of your time as well as a great opportunity to build your IR network and share in new experiences.

Beyond the conference program, we’ve organized several optional activities to enrich your experience and help you discover the treasures of Halifax and the surrounding area. These include a trip to Peggy’s Cove, a Segway tour of Halifax and kayaking in the harbour.

We’d like to highlight and thank our fellow 2019 Annual Conference Committee members who have contributed their time, experience and creativity over the past months to assemble the program and solicit speakers. It’s through their combined effort that we’re certain you will enjoy your time in Halifax and depart with new insights and tools to navigate your way forward.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Anchors aweigh,

Conference Co-chairs:

Nathalie Megann, CPIR
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Affairs
Chorus Aviation Inc.

 

 

 

Ryder McRitchie
Vice President, Capital Markets & Public Relations
Jupiter Resources Ltd.