Investor Relations and Financial Communication. Alexander V. Laskin

IR report and generation of Board materials.

       Ensure compliance with corporate policies and securities regulations.

       Maintain relationships with contacts at institutional investors.

       Manage and maintain vendor relationships within the IR function.

       Play a leadership role in making the function and the Company more efficient and effective.

       As needed, participate in important business/function initiatives or special projects and manage them to successful completion.

       Work and manage effectively across the Company's matrixed organization to improve efficiency and achieve desired results.

       Perform other duties as required.

      As mentioned previously, investor relations is a rather small profession. There are not that many IROs. Once you enter this profession, you learn about your peers and about job opportunities quickly. As a result, word of mouth is also a very important avenue for finding a job in this field. It is important to take advantage of various networking opportunities – virtually or in person, locally or nationally. Annual professional conferences are among the best networking opportunities available. NIRI’s annual conference is usually held in June alternating between the east and west coasts. PRSA’s annual conference is usually held in October, and also moves from city to city. Other professional organizations organize conferences as well. In addition to being great networking opportunities, these events serve as excellent professional development events.

      Key Terms

      Account

      Account assistant

      Account coordinator

      Account director

      Account executive

      Account supervisor

      Agency

      Assistant account executive

      Association of Fundraising Professionals

      CCO

      Central bank

      CDO

      CEO

CFO

      Chairperson

      Code of Conduct

      Code of Ethics

      COO

      Ethics Council

      Executive vice president

      The Federal Reserve System

      Financial Communications Section

      Form 8-K

      Form 10-K

      Form 10-Q

      Fundraising

      In-house

      Intern

      International Association of Business Communicators

      Investor Relations Charter

      IRC

      National Investor Relations Institute

      One-on-one meetings

      Over-the-counter market

      Partner

      Public company

      Public Relations Society of America

      R&D

      Regional director

      Senior account executive

      Senior partner

      Senior vice president

      Stock exchange

      Vice president

      Discussion Questions and Activities

      1 How does the membership of NIRI compare with that of other professional associations? Do you expect NIRI's membership to grow or decline in the future?

      2 What does it mean for the investor relations profession and IROs to work within such a small community? Identify and discuss pluses and minuses.

      3 Does it matter which executive oversees the investor relations function? What are the benefits and drawbacks of different investor relations corporate structures?

      4 Discuss different types of financial communication jobs – compare differences and similarities working in different sectors of the economy and different industries.

      5 Find a recent posting for an investor relations or financial communication job. Analyze the key requirements for the candidate, as well as the job’s responsibilities. Discuss what kind of training and education such a job requires.