With shareholder activism rates continuing to rise and defense strategies becoming more complex, how can IR and management teams be better prepared for activist situations? In this episode of Winning IR, Kiley Rawlins, Vice President - Investor Relations at Ulta Beauty, draws on her 25 years of experience in IR and shares insights on activism readiness and how investor relations officers should prepare for and approach potential activist campaigns.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Activism readiness: understanding the key issues and vulnerabilities that drive shareholder activism
• Communication strategies with your board and management team
• Preparing for potential activist campaigns
• Monitoring performance and comparisons with peer groups
• The importance of your advisor team and scenario planning
• Engaging with activists and shareholders
• Balancing threats and opportunities from activism

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

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For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

While the content of your message has a large impact on how well your company is understood by investors and analysts, how you deliver your message can carry equal weight. In this week’s episode of Winning IR, Mark sits down with David Calusdian, President at Sharon Merrill Advisors. They discuss how developing your presence and communication skills can benefit IROs and Executives alike.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• The importance of structured messaging
• The Communication Pyramid Model
• Common mistakes that prevent effective communication
• The role of body language 
• Improving executive communication
• The importance of effective communication in investor relations

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

The Small-Mid-Cap landscape has changed drastically in recent years, and targeting is a key concern for companies looking to reduce stock volatility, build new relationships, and grow their company.

In this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken sits down with Jonathan Paterson to discuss how mid-cap companies can build effective targeting and outreach strategies.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Common objectives in investor outreach
• Increasing institutional shareholder base
• Targeting hedge funds and family offices
• Increasing liquidity by targeting hedge funds and family offices
• The importance of clear communication
• Targeting strategies for small-mid-cap companies
• Incorporating existing data into engagement strategies
• The role of social media in IR
• Crafting the perfect investor outreach email
• And more

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

Over the last few years, IR teams are increasingly becoming more proactive with buy-side engagement due to regulatory requirements and an evolution in standard practices in corporate access. During this evolution, it's become clear that there is some mystery surrounding buy-side corporate access and how IRO’s can begin to leverage these teams to benefit their outreach and relationships. In this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken and Elizabeth Librizzi, Chief Administrative Officer for Equities at AllianceBernstein, sit down to discuss how buy-side corporate access can help corporates build long-term sustainable relationships. 

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Buy-side corporate access, and how it differs from sell-side corporate access
• How IR teams should engage with buy-side corporate access teams
• The benefits of working directly with buy-side corporate access
• What you need to know about buy-side conferences
• The biggest surprise for Elizabeth going from sell-side to buy-side corporate access
• The biggest misconception about buy-side corporate access

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

Managing an IPO is, without a doubt, a career-making transaction for an IRO. On this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken and Catherine Buan, Investor Relations at Asana, discuss what IR practitioners who find or want to find themselves in the seat to lead a company through their go-public transition. 

Catherine is an industry veteran and has managed IPOs for some of the biggest tech companies in the market, and she shares some really insightful advice from her years of experience. 

Listen to the full episode to learn more about: 

• Setting the stage for an IPO
• Assembling the internal and external team
• The IPO timeline for IR
• How to ensure your management team is set up for success
• What to look out for during the IPO process
• What you need to know to ensure success post-IPO
• Advice for IROs who are interested in taking companies public

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

In this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken and Patricia Cruz, Senior Manager, Investor Relations at Etsy, Inc, talk about her experience transitioning into an in-house role from a previous consulting career, and what it takes to be a next-generation IRO. Patricia shares her best advice for finding the path that will bring you the most success in your IR career, getting exposure and building your network, and ensuring you build the right skills to be successful in the long-term. 

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• In-house vs. consulting - what’s the difference, and how to make the transition.
• What you should know before getting into IR
• The best networking resources for a new IRO
• Patricia’s best advice for finding success early in your career

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

IR is a busy and sometimes chaotic role at any public company. IR teams carry the weight of relationships that can impact a company's performance in the public markets, and managing, maintaining, and growing those relationships requires constant care. The role becomes even more critical when a company dominates the headlines.

In today’s episode, Mark Fasken sits down with Andrea Daley, Vice President of Investor Relations at Dentsply Sirona. In 2022, just one year into Andrea’s tenure in her first IR role, the company faced numerous executive transitions and challenging situations in the markets and the press. Andrea and Mark discuss her experience leading IR through that time, her best advice to IROs finding themselves in a similar situation, and how facing those challenges built a stronger and more resilient IR function. 

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• Communicating executive departures
• Which partners and internal groups to leverage for support
• Working with an interim executive team and how to transition the new executive team into the company.
• Managing relationships with the investment community
• The power of the IR community during challenging times
• How tough times build stronger teams

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir

One of the topics we often hear within the IR community is how to earn a seat at the strategic table. On this episode of Winning IR, Mark Fasken and Adam Borgatti, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations at Aecon Group, talk about what it takes to expand your scope of responsibility as an IRO, and how to take your leadership to the next level. 

Adam has held multiple senior leadership positions in the finance industry. He is currently responsible for leading Aecon’s Investor Relations, Sustainability, Corporate Affairs, Corporate Communications and Marketing functions, as well as supporting the leadership team at Aecon with developing long-term business plans, evaluating strategic initiatives, and leading the assessment and execution of Aecon’s acquisition opportunities. Given his breadth of responsibilities, Adam knows a thing or two about deeply growing your skills to become a multi-disciplinary leader.

Listen to the full episode to learn more about:

• The natural areas to expand your scope of responsibility as an IRO
• Scaling a team while managing to escalate responsibilities
• Understanding team strengths and opportunities for improvement
• Using rotational programs to build diverse skillsets
• Why delegating the responsibilities that set you apart helps you to grow
• How to get a seat at the table

Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin.

For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir