IR Magazine Awards – Canada
Celebrating IR Excellence

Thursday, April 7, 2022

The Ritz Carlton, Toronto

Submit an entry

About the awards

We are delighted to announce that the IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2022 will take place live and in-person on Thursday, April 7 at The Ritz Carlton, Toronto. This very special event will honor excellence in the investor relations profession across Canada and we’re excited to welcome everyone back for an evening of fine food, dancing and lots of celebrating!

Since the annual event first launched in 1996, tens of thousands of analysts and investors have voted in the surveys behind 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.

Nominated categories Researched categories

THE NOMINATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT (ET) ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10Submit an entry

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 2022! Please click here to access the entry form. The deadline for submissions has been EXTENDED until midnight (ET) on Friday, December 10.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQ section on the entry form, please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 8004 4989.

Please note that categories are subject to change based on the final number of submissions received. Some categories may be split by market cap size.

View the full list of 2021 winners by clicking here

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? How did your company respond to the Covid-19 pandemic? 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?

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.

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 retail investors to meet growing needs for communication. 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 technology & social media for IR

Are you a tech-savvy IRO always looking out for cutting-edge technological solutions for IR? Describe the innovative ways you have incorporated video, audio, infographics or webcasts into your IR program. Judges will be looking for evidence of heightened investor and analyst engagement via these channels.

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

Click on the judges' photos below to find out more

Brian Christie
Vice president, investor relations
Agnico Eagle Mines

Mr. Christie is the Vice President, Investor Relations and has held this position since 2012. Prior to his appointment, 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). He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Denver Gold Group.
Lorne Gorber
Executive advisor

Lorne is an executive communications professional with 15+ years of success leading global strategic reputation management initiatives. He delivers effective communications strategies and campaigns for multiple stakeholders within large, global, and publicly-traded companies.

Recognized as a passionate and effective listener with the ability to synthesize complexity into actionable insights and develop messages relevant to all audiences. He also has a strong background in creative arts and writing, and brings a talent for crystalizing key messages and engaging as the company spokesperson.
Lisa Greatrix
Former senior vice president, finance and investor relations
Canadian Tire Corporation

Lisa Greatrix is a seasoned Finance and Investor Relations Executive and Board member with extensive experience in managing diverse groups and initiatives in multiple disciplines including finance, customer support and operations.

Recently retired, Lisa previously held the role of Senior Vice-President, Finance and Investor Relations at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), Lisa and her team directly supported CTC’s Board of Directors, CFO and CEO. In this role, Lisa oversaw investor relations strategies and programs and also managed relationships with the investor and analyst communities. Lisa’s IR team was recognized with two IR Magazine Awards for Best in Sector.

Lisa joined Canadian Tire in 2007 as Vice-President, Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis. During this time, she acted as a trusted advisor to senior management, supported the creation of CT REIT and played a key role in creating a sustainable financial framework. Throughout her career at CTC, she has set strategies and inspired change that has made CTC home to some of the best practices in financial planning and analysis, and investor relations.

Prior to joining Canadian Tire, Lisa held senior positions at MDS, Research in Motion and Xerox Canada. Lisa is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University. She has also completed the Queen’s Executive Program.

Lisa currently serves as a Board and Audit Committee member for the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI), and as a Board member for Neighbourly Pharmacy.
Colleen Johnston
Former CFO
TD Bank

Colleen currently serves on the boards of Shopify, McCain Foods and Q4. Colleen is Chair of Unity Health Toronto, which includes St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and Providence Healthcare; a member on the Board of the Shaw Festival; and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business. She previously served as the Chair of 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).
Laurie Havelock
Editor-at-large
IR Magazine

Laurie Havelock is a journalist, writer and podcaster who has worked with IR Magazine for almost a decade. Outside of writing about investor relations, corporate governance and green finance, he also works for the i newspaper as a news editor and culture writer. Away from writing, he works on several comedy podcasts including Podshambles and Idle Fantasy and was formerly a radio DJ, and hosted a weekly show on Shoreditch Radio called What’s Your Plan B? He lives in London with Mischa, his dog.

What our attendees say

"A special event to recognize the commitment and efforts of investor relations professionals in Canada. Appreciated the efforts of the team to make it a truly special night."

Canadian Tire Corporation

"It's the Oscars of the Investment Community"

Centerra Gold

"Very classy event and great networking opportunity."

Air Canada

"This was my first time attending the Awards and it was a spectacular evening celebrating Canadian IROs."

CIRI

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.

If you have any questions on this process or wish to access our data sharing agreement, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. We are no longer accepting lists for the 2022 research, but should you have any queries about the process, please contact [email protected].

View the full list of 2021 winners by clicking here

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: Small cap = below 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: Small cap = below 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: Small cap = below C$2 bn / Mid-cap = between C$2 bn - C$10 bn / Large cap = C$10 bn and over

Best financial reporting

Best corporate governance & disclosure

Best IR by a Canadian company in the US market

Best in sector: communications

Best in sector: consumer discretionary & consumer staples

Best in sector: energy

Best in sector: financials & real estate

Best in sector: industrials

Best in sector: materials

Best in sector: technology

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 2021: 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 2021: 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 2021: 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 2022: 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 7, 2022: Winners announced

And finally… the winners are announced live at the black tie awards gala on Thursday, April 7, 2022!

April 2022: Report published

Shortly after the awards, the Investor Perception Study – Canada 2022 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 past attendees:

Company	Job title	Company	Job title
DLF	AGM, investor relations	Verde AgriTech	Manager, investor relations
Alamos Gold	Associate, investor relations	BRP	Manager, investor relations
AirBoss of America	CFO	Lundin Mining	Manager, investor relations
Cenovus Energy	Communications contractor	Tervita Corporation	Manager, investor relations
Suncor Energy	Coordinator, market access	Canadian Pacific Railway	Managing director, investor relations
Shawcor	Corporate & investor relations	National Bank of Canada	Senior advisor, investor relations
Cordoba Minerals Corp/Kaizen Discovery	CS & ethics compliance officer	Bank of Montreal	Senior analyst
BMO Financial Group	Director	George Weston	Senior director, investor relations
Endeavour Silver	Director, investor relations	IGM Financial	Senior manager, corporate responsibility
Parkland Corporation	Director, capital markets	Cineplex	Senior manager, investor relations
Air Canada	Director, investor relations	RBC	Senior manager, investor relations
Capital Power	Director, investor relations	Aecon Group	Senior vice president
Capstone Mining	Director, investor relations	Intact Financial	Senior vice president
Hudbay Minerals	Director, investor relations	Pembina Pipeline Corporation	Senior VP & chief financial officer
TC Transcontinental	Director, investor relations	Parkland	Sr. Associate, corporate communications
Fortis	Executive assistant	Kinross Gold	SVP, investor relations
TD Bank Group	Head of ESG reporting	Samsung Life Insurance	US chief representative officer
Roots Corporation	Head of investor relations	Boralex	VP
Thomson Reuters	Head of investor relations	Real Matters	VP, investor relations
Nutrien	Investor relations administrator	Altus Group	VP, investor relations
ARC Resources	Investor relations analyst	Hydro One	VP, investor relations
Canadian Tire	IR associate and executive assistant	Stantec	VP, investor relations
WSP Global	IR	Gibson Energy	VP, strategy, planning & IR

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 Adam Dar or call on +1 212 430 6895.

Inquire about partnership

Partners

Broadridge

Broadridge

Awards Partners

Broadridge, a global fintech leader with $4 billion in revenue, provides communications, technology, data and analytics. We help drive business transformation with solutions for enriching client engagement, navigating risk, optimizing efficiency and generating revenue growth. We power the entire investment lifecycle, from trading, portfolio management and financial advisory to omni-channel communications. Part of the Canadian financial services community for three decades, our footprint spans the big five banks, one-third of North American wealth management firms and 75 percent of the mailboxes in North America. We are uniquely positioned to help clients get ahead of today’s challenges and capitalize on what’s next.

Broadridge also delivers a single-source solution to help corporations simplify securityholder management, efficiently navigate regulatory and compliance communication requirements and gain insights to effectively serve and engage securityholders. Our smart, simple and strategic solutions for public companies and alternative investments, such as REITs help you build your brand and engage your securityholders. Our communication tools help gain efficiencies, cultivate goodwill toward your brand, educate and influence securityholders and increase participation. We simplify the annual meeting process by streamlining proxy communications that improve your annual meetings with solutions to efficiently, and effectively reach all of your securityholders and support your goals and priorities. We help you drive a successful proxy outcome with data-driven, predictive insights based on securityholder voting patterns. Our data and insights help you gain a greater understanding of securityholder behaviours and trends so you can make smart decisions that support good governance practices.

For more information please visit: www.broadridge.com.
CIBC Capital Markets

CIBC Capital Markets

Awards Partners

CIBC (CM: TSX, NYSE) is a leading North American financial institution with a market capitalization of $44 billion and a Basel III Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 12.1%. Through our four strategic business units – Canadian Personal and Small Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, US Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets – CIBC provides a full range of financial products and services to 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients in Canada, the US and around the world. We have approximately 45,000 employees dedicated to providing our clients with banking for a modern world, delivering consistent and sustainable earnings growth for our shareholders, and giving back to our communities.

For more information please visit www.cibccm.com

THE NOMINATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT (ET) ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10Submit an entry

Venue

We’re pleased to hosting this year’s awards at:

The Ritz Carlton
181 Wellington St W
Toronto, ON M5V 3G7

Dress code
Black tie

Warning: Please note the event may contain flashing lights or sudden loud sound effects.

Covid-19 commitment

Before you attend

We ask that all attendees follow government guidance with the onset of any Covid-19 symptoms. If you are presenting symptoms of Covid-19, have been in close contact with anyone confirmed to have Covid-19, are required to quarantine due to travel, or are awaiting the results from a PCR test, we ask that you DO NOT attend the event until you are presented with a negative test result

At the venue

All attendees must be prepared, upon arrival, to provide:
- Proof of being fully vaccinated, with a second dose administered at least 14 days before the event date, with a recognized Covid-19 vaccine
- A form of photo identification
Once your vaccination status has been verified, you will be provided with a form of confirmation, which must be shown upon request before entering the events spaces or other outlets in the hotel
Face coverings are mandatory when entering the venue and making your way to the events space or other outlets in the hotel, but can be removed when consuming food and beverages during the event
All venue staff are currently required to wear face coverings for the duration of the event
Hand sanitizing stations will be provided at key locations around the venue and guests will be encouraged to make regular use of them
In an effort to create more space and make our guests feel comfortable, we will be offering tables of 8 for the dinner
While at the event, if you start to feel unwell or develop symptoms, you must leave the venue immediately and notify the organizer as soon as possible via email. There will be no testing facilities at our event
All attendees are expected to be considerate to those around them and respectful of the safety measures implemented by the organizers and the venue
We will continue to implement further efforts to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests, which will be shared with the attendees in advance of the event

After the event

If you are confirmed to have Covid-19 within 10 days following the event, we ask that you inform the organizers immediately
We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to update our guidelines accordingly

BOOK YOUR PLACE WITH CONFIDENCE

If you are unable to attend due to symptoms or testing positive for Covid-19, the following options will be available to you:

You can transfer your pass to a colleague
You can transfer your booking to the 2023 event
You can obtain a full refund

If for any reason IR Magazine has to postpone the event, the following options will be available to you:

Your booking will be valid for the new event date
If you are unable to attend the rescheduled event, you can transfer your booking to another IR Magazine event taking place in 2022
You can obtain a full refund

If you have any questions about the measures in place, please contact [email protected].

Register your interest

Register your interest for the 2022 awards by filling in the form at the link below. You will be the first to receive important updates about the event, including what to expect and how to book your table.

If you have any questions, please contact Chloë Rutter at [email protected] or call +44 20 3002 0396.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

THE NOMINATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT (ET) ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10Submit an entry

Watch the 2021 show

Don’t worry if you missed the 2021 virtual awards ceremony, you can view the full show below.

Contact us

For partnership inquiries

Adam Dar

+1 212 430 6895
For awards inquiries

Priscilla Lim

+44 20 8004 4989
For all other inquiries

Chloë Rutter

+44 20 3002 0396

Privacy Policy

IR Media Group (USA) Inc, the owner of IR Magazine, Corporate Secretary and IRspace, respect the privacy of every person who visits, registers with or subscribes to our websites and online publications, and is committed to ensuring a safe online experience. This privacy statement applies to all IR Media Group’s websites as listed under the heading ‘Sites’ and outlines the information IR Media Group may collect and how we may use that information. It also explains what we do with information about you when you register to attend one of our events.

IR Magazine Awards – CanadaCelebrating IR Excellence

Thursday, April 7, 2022

About the awards

Awards by nomination