IR Magazine Awards – Canada
Celebrating IR Excellence

Thursday, April 4, 2024

About the awards

The IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2024 will take place on Thursday, April 4 in Toronto. This very special event honors excellence in the investor relations profession across Canada and we were excited to welcome everyone for an evening of fine food and lots of celebrating!

Since the annual event first launched in 1996, tens of thousands of analysts and investors have voted in the surveys that fuels the awards. The result: vital benchmarking information on which companies do the best IR. In recent years, the awards program has expanded to recognize more aspects of an IRO’s role as we add new categories to the list and give IR teams the opportunity to nominate themselves.

By popular demand, we present two types of award categories – researched and nominated – both celebrating the success of those individuals and companies that are leading the way in IR across Canada.

For our researched categories, companies do not submit nominations. Instead, hundreds of analysts and investors cast their votes and give their opinions on which companies provide the best IR service. In our nominated categories, companies submit written entries to articulate their success and achievements from the past year, giving any publicly listed company the opportunity to be considered for an award.

Awards-by-nomination Awards-by-research

Awards by nomination

For our awards-by-nomination categories, individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.

OPEN FOR ENTRIES

We are now accepting entries for 2024! Please click here to access the entry form. The extended deadline for submissions is midnight (ET) on Friday, December 8.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or call +44 20 8004 4989.

Nominated categories
How the winners are chosen

Best crisis management

Have you recently dealt with an unexpected event threatening your company's business or reputation? Tell us about your ‘crisis ready’ plan, the strategy you implemented when the storm hit, and how the IR team’s actions successfully protected or restored shareholder value.

Best ESG reporting

Companies face growing demands to inform investors about the risk and opportunities - they face from a range of ESG issues. Describe how your company was able to meet the demands of shareholders looking for substance in ESG reporting? Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn - C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best innovation in shareholder communications

In this catch-all category, judges are looking for IR teams who have had to think out of the box in the past 12-18 months to update their shareholder communications campaign and keep up with the evolving needs and wants of the investor community. We’re looking for that tiny little spark of innovation that sets your company apart!

Best investor event

Did you hold a capital markets day, site visit or other investor event that made your company stand out from the crowd? Tell us how you came up with an original initiative, the way you managed its organization, and how your audience’s expectations were met; audience feedback is also welcome. Both virtual and in-person events can be considered for this award. Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn - C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best investor targeting strategy New for 2024

Have you gone above and beyond to reach new investors and tell your company story? Have you recently changed your targeting strategy to reach new prospects, adapt to adversarial circumstances, or get a better return from your investor engagements? We want to hear from you. Our judges will look for innovative use of data and analysis to optimize your marketing schedule and provide better returns on your IR department and management's time on the road and at conferences.

Best IR during a corporate transaction

How did your IR team go above and beyond to support a recent corporate transaction? Let us know the details. We’ll be looking at the IR team’s involvement in crafting/releasing the messaging for the financial markets and how it organized outreach and dialogue to gain approval from key shareholders.

Best IR website

The IR website is the first point of contact for an IRO’s audience. We want to hear from companies that have developed a best-in-class website displaying top-notch customer experience, engaging content that meets analysts’ and investors’ needs, and multiplatform access.

Best retail IR strategy

IR teams have recently started to pay attention to and service the traditional blind spot in their shareholder base – the retail investor block. In this category, we’re looking for IR campaigns that include a retail shareholder communication strategy, how it differed from the usual program and the results of these efforts.

Best use of social media and video

Have your IR teams increased visibility and engagement digitally through the use of different communication channels? Describe the innovative ways you have incorporated video, audio, infographics or webcasts into your IR program. Judges will be looking for evidence of the quality of output, use of creativity and heightened investor and analyst engagement via these channels.

Best use of technology including AI New for 2024

Have you harnessed cutting-edge technology like AI to enhance your IR efforts? In this new category, we want to hear about how you have used tools to overcome IR challenges, create efficiencies, enhance intelligence or improve the quality of your IR activities. Judges want to hear about the tools you have used in your IR efforts, how you used them and the measures implemented to ensure safe and responsible use of technology.

Rising star

This award seeks to honor individuals who bring fresh thinking and a unique approach to the profession. This category is open to anyone who has been working in IR for less than 10 years and has less than 15 years of professional experience.

The awards-by-nomination categories differ from our traditional researched awards, as individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.

The judging process consists of three simple phases:

Phase one: Once the entry deadline has passed, the IR Magazine editorial team reviews all submissions and produces the short list

Phase two: The short-listed entries are shared with an independent judging panel made up of industry experts. The judges review each short-listed entry and select their top two picks per category

Phase three: The judges come together to discuss, debate and select the final list of winners who will go on to win an award

The judges’ votes are not made public, but their comments may be published in articles or reports after the event. Judges are not required to make comments against every submission.

Meet the judges

We are delighted to announce our judging panel for the 2024 awards! Click on each photo below to find out more.

Brian Christie
Former vice president, investor relations
Agnico Eagle Mines

Mr. Christie served as the Vice President of Investor Relations at Agnico Eagle Mines from December 2012 until July 2022. During his tenure at Agnico Eagle, the company was consistently recognized as having one of the top Investor Relations programs across all industries in Canada. Mr. Christie is currently retained by Agnico Eagle as a Senior Advisor, Investor Relations.

From 2016 until 2021 he served as an Independent Director (including 2 years as Board Chair and Compensation Committee Chair) of the Denver Gold Group, a Colorado based not-for-profit association owned by its member gold companies who control most of the world’s precious metal output and mineral assets.

Before joining Agnico Eagle, he worked for over 17 years in the investment industry, primarily as a precious and base metals mining analyst with Desjardins Securities, National Bank Financial, Canaccord Capital and HSBC Securities. Prior to this, Mr. Christie spent 13 years in the mining industry as a geologist for a variety of mining companies, including Homestake, Billiton, Falconbridge Copper and Newmont Mining. Mr. Christie holds a BSc. in Geology (University of Toronto) and an MSc. in Geology (Queen’s University) and is a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).
Lorne Gorber
Senior advisor and Quebec lead
LodeRock

Lorne Gorber is a bilingual executive with nearly 20 years of success leading global strategic reputation management initiatives within large, global, and publicly-traded companies.

Top Gun ranked by Brendan Wood for multiple years, Lorne is recognized leader in the investor relations community. He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (F.CIRI) in 2017, a designation for those who have advanced the investor relations profession and the efforts of CIRI. In 2018, Lorne received IR Magazine’s award as best investor relations officer in Canada (large cap) and, over several years led IR teams recognized as Best in the Technology Sector.

Lorne began his career as a writer and editor for various publications in Canada and the United States, conceptualizing and developing compelling narratives that engaged and informed audiences on a variety of topics.

Lorne holds an undergraduate degree from Concordia University in Montréal and a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of the Great Lakes Region; sits on the Advisory Council of Ubico Inc. Additionally, Lorne serves as CEO of Blockify Inc., an emerging blockchain technology company.
Colleen Johnston
Former CFO
TD Bank

Colleen currently serves on the boards of Shopify, McCain Foods, Q4 and Private Debt Partners. She previously served as the Chair of Unity Health Toronto, Bridgepoint Health
and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

Colleen Johnston retired from TD Bank Group in 2018. Prior to this, she was the Group Head Direct Channels, Technology, Marketing and Corporate & Public Affairs, TD Bank Group. Colleen served as TD’s Chief Financial Officer from 2005-2015. Prior to joining TD in 2004, Colleen spent 15 years with Scotiabank in various senior finance positions. Colleen started her career at PwC in 1982. She received her CA designation in 1984 and in
2006 was elected an FCA (FCPA) recognizing her outstanding career achievements and dedication to community activities.

At TD, she was actively involved in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace as Chair of the Women in Leadership Committee for ten years. In 2013, Colleen was awarded the Catalyst Canada Honours in the Business Leader Category. Colleen has received numerous top industry honours as a senior finance executive including Canada’s CFO of the Year in 2012. She was recognized by Women’s Executive Network as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women three years in a row and inducted into Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2011, for the third year in a row, she was named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by American Banker. Colleen has received Honorary Degrees from St. Mary’s University and York University (Schulich School of Business).
Tim Human
Senior reporter
IR Magazine

Tim Human is senior reporter at IR Magazine. He rejoined the publication in 2019 after two years working as a freelance writer for a range of international clients. Previously, he was editor of IR Magazine between 2013-2017. He has also written for Governance Intelligence, formally Corporate Secretary, IR Magazine’s sister publication, and CorpComms, the UK-based magazine for corporate communications professionals.
Garnet Roach
Senior reporter
IR Magazine

Garnet Roach joined IR Magazine in October 2012, working on both the editorial and research sides of the publication. Prior to entering the world of investor relations, her freelance career covered a broad range of subjects, from technology to politics and consumer finance, and even involved a stint as a reporter and editor in Sana’a, Yemen.

Since graduating from City University in London in 2003, where she studied journalism, Roach has worked as a freelance reporter at titles including GlobalPost.com, PC Advisor and The Big Issue.

Awards by research

Our awards-by-research nominees are determined by the input of hundreds of analysts and portfolio managers, who give their opinions on which companies provide them with the best IR service in Canada. Every year we invite any publicly listed company to submit their list of buy and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers, so that they have the opportunity to vote via our survey.

View the full list of nominees and winners by clicking here.

If you have any questions on this process or wish to access our data sharing agreement, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. For any further queries about the research process, please contact [email protected].

Researched Categories
How the winners are chosen

Best overall investor relations

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program. Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn - C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best investor relations officer

This category is for individual IROs whose knowledge of their company and sector and whose ability to build relationships with members of the investment community and to be transparent, accessible and responsive, sets them apart. Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn - C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best IR by a senior management team

Market cap breakdown: Micro cap = below C$300 mn / Small cap = between C$300 mn - C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best IR by a Canadian company in the US market

Best in sector: consumer discretionary

Best in sector: consumer staples

Best in sector: energy

Best in sector: financials & real estate

Best in sector: industrials

Best in sector: materials

Best in sector: technology & communications

Best in sector: utilities

The first thing to explain is that our awards are different from most others: for our awards by research, companies do not submit nominations. The winners are identified by in-depth research and any publicly traded company is eligible to be considered. This survey is the only one of its kind to go directly to the investment community, via a combination of an electronic survey and one-to-one telephone interviews, canvassing the opinions of the people who matter to you most.

July 2023: Sample selection

IR Magazine has been building investment community databases for more than 30 years. As part of the updating process, listed companies are contacted every year for details of the professionals who currently cover their stock. These details are combined with IHS Markit’s list of US investment community contacts to produce a total of around 50,000 investors and analysts.

September – November 2023: Telephone survey

The telephone survey then gets under way. The researchers conduct in-depth interviews with an additional 250 portfolio managers and analysts across the US and Canada. Many of them participate in the study year after year, but there is always a healthy proportion of new respondents each year as well. As the research progresses, the sample is adjusted to ensure appropriate weightings are maintained.

October 2023: Electronic survey

IR Magazine then conducts an electronic survey of buy-side and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers. The electronic survey typically receives 200 individual responses from the investment community. These responses then go to Mary Maude Research for initial analysis. The research firm determines what will constitute a representative sample, weighted for industry sector.

Results analysis

Once the survey stage of the research is completed, the final analysis is undertaken. The companies with the highest scores make the short lists for the awards categories, and the points are further analyzed to identify the best exponents of IR by sector. The independence of our research is crucial to the integrity of the whole awards program, so IR Magazine sees the results only once the research is complete. This ensures a transparent, independent set of results that IROs can trust as a valuable bench-marking tool.

January 2024: Short list compiled

IR Magazine receives the results in January and contacts the short-listed companies to give them the good news. The short list is then published to the entire IR community the month before the event.

April 4, 2024: Winners announced

And finally… the winners are announced live at the black tie awards gala on Thursday, April 4, 2024!

April 2024: Report published

Shortly after the awards, the Investor Perception Study – Canada 2024 report is published and made available to IR Magazine subscribers. This report will profile the top ranked companies and reveal information on how they conduct their IR activities and why investors voted for them.

Who attends our events

Attendees at this event are leading IR practitioners from across Canada. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role within his or her company.

Below is a sample of some of our current attendees:

Job title	Company	Job title	Company
AVP, IR	Canadian Tire	Director, visual communications	Air Canada
AVP, IR and capital markets	Sun Life	Head of IR and corporate sustainability	Air Canada
CEO	Calian	Head of IR	BMO Financial Group
CFO	Alamos Gold	MD, global head of corporate access	Scotiabank
CFO	Black Diamond Group	President and CEO	Alamos Gold
CFO	Calian	Senior advisor, IR	TransAlta
CFO	DIRTT Environmental Solutions	Senior advisor, IR	WSP Global
CFO	Tricon Residential	SVP, general counsel	DIRTT Environmental Solutions
Chairman and CEO	Karora Resources	SVP, general counsel	Cineplex
COO	Alamos Gold	VP, corporate affairs	Aecon Group
Director, corp development and IR	Aecon Group	VP, IR	Carbon Streaming
Director, IR	BMO Financial Group	VP, IR	Cenovus Energy
Director, IR	Karora Resources	VP, IR	Endeavour Silver
Director, IR	Canopy Growth Corporation	VP, IR	Fortis
Director, IR	Nutrien	VP, IR	Eldorado Gold Corporation
Director, IR and communications	Yamana Gold	VP, IR	Osisko Gold Royalties
Director, IR and corp development	Martinrea International	VP, IR	OpenText
Director, IR and strategy	Cronos Group	VP, strategy and IR	NFI Group

Request full attendee list

Become a partner

Why partner with us?

Our awards provide a unique opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential people in the Canadian IR community. As a partner, you will gain an extensive amount of exposure through a wide range of print and digital marketing materials, both pre and post event, as well as on the day itself. Additionally, you can use the event to align yourself with IR excellence and network with key decision makers from across the region – the ones pushing the profession forward through innovation.

Partnering with the event will provide:

A chance to network with qualified, senior decision-makers in the IR community
Increased awareness and credibility through association with the region’s leading awards
New business opportunities through higher-brand presence among current and potential clients
The chance to entertain clients at the most respected event of the year
Exposure as the market leader in your chosen area by sponsoring the awards category that best reflects your area of expertise

All our partnerships are created using a mix of branding, thought leadership, lead generation and meetings with your target audience. You tell us your objectives and we will work with you to create you a package that’s makes sense for your company and will help you achieve those objectives. To find out more get in touch with Ian Richman or call on +1 212 430 6865.

Inquire about partnership

Partners

What our attendees say

"Very well organized. Great location and venue. Meal and bar were very good. Kept the evening moving during the awards phase. Really appreciated the band and the whole feel around the ceremony"

Cenovus Energy Inc

"The chance to get to see the IR World in a different light, hear about the success stories and cheer on the nominees and winners"

Stantec

"It was a very impressive evening in every way - the location was great, the ballroom was beautiful, open bar, 360 camera, red carpet, dinner, audio/video set up for awards presentation, live singer/band as winners"

Medak

"The 2023 IR Magazine Awards – Canada was a slick, professional and fun event to celebrate IR excellence across industries"

BMO Financial Group

"A great opportunity to celebrate IR and catch up with old friends"

Loblaw

"The location, the drinks, service at the bar, and the pre/post-dinner food were incredible. The atmosphere was awesome and I think the length of the event was perfect"

Sun Life Financial

"What's not to like about the IR Magazine Awards! Amazing venue, food and entertainment"

Broadridge

Register your interest

Gallery

Congratulations to our 2023 winners!

Best in sector: consumer discretionary
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: BRP

Best in sector: consumer staples
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: Loblaw Companies

Best in sector: energy
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: Cenovus Energy

Best in sector: financials & real estate
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: Sun Life Financial

Best in sector: industrials
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: WSP Global

Best in sector: materials
Presented by: Nasdaq
Joint winners: Agnico Eagle Mines and Alamos Gold

Best in sector: utilities
Presented by: Nasdaq
Winner: TransAlta Corporation

Best crisis management
Winner: Cineplex

Best ESG reporting (small cap)
Presented by: TMX Group
Winner: Aecon Group

Best ESG reporting (mid-cap)
Presented by: TMX Group
Winner: TransAlta Corporation

Best ESG reporting (large cap)
Presented by: Works Design
Winner: Agnico Eagle Mines

Best innovation in shareholder communications
Winner: TransAlta Corporation

Best investor event (small cap)
Presented by: Q4
Winner: Calian Group

Best investor event (mid-cap)
Presented by: Q4
Winner: Air Canada

Best investor event (large cap)
Presented by: Q4
Winner: WSP Global

Best IR during a corporate transaction
Presented by: Morrow Sodali
Winner: Agnico Eagle Mines

Best IR website
Winner: CN

Best use of technology & social media for IR
Winner: CN

Rising star
Presented by: Newsfile
Winner: Charlotte Thuot Kucyi, Tricon Residential

Lifetime achievement
Presented by: Broadridge
Winner: Brian Christie

Best IR by a Canadian company in the US market
Presented by: Notified
Winner: Canadian Pacific Railway

Best IR by a senior management team (small to mid-cap)
Presented by: National Bank Financial
Winner: Jay Forbes, CEO & Frank Ruperto, CFO, Element Fleet Management