TD Tower, Toronto
The IR Magazine Forum – Canada took place on Wednesday, April 5 in Toronto and aimed to give Canadian IR professionals practical, take away ideas to implement into their IR programs.
For the past few years, attendees joined us to look at running an IR program in the new normal. Throughout these events we heard the latest advice on targeting, including how to respond to the changing nature of the traditional sell-side, how to engage with ETFs and new day traders, and the future for roadshows. As well as this, buy-side, sell side and issuing companies shared advice on post-pandemic strategies, creative best practice, ESG reporting, and the use of new technologies.
Click here to see the 2023 agenda as a PDF
All times displayed are in Eastern Time (ET)
08:30 AM
Registration, breakfast and morning networking
08:50 AM
Welcome to the IR Magazine Forum - Canada
Laurie Havelock, editor–at–large, IR Magazine
09:00 AM
Setting the scene: Navigating new macroeconomic landscapes
Last year was a difficult year for Canadian companies, with soaring inflation, high interest rates and a global energy crisis. This year, as the situation starts to stabilize, issuers and investors are looking for guidance on what is coming next.
To kick off the forum our panelists will discuss lessons learned from managing last year’s volatility, why there is reason to be cautiously optimistic in 2023 and what all this means in practice for public companies.
Moderator: Laurie Havelock, editor–at–large, IR Magazine
Leslie Preston, managing director, senior economist, TD
09:30 AM
Communicating through the storm: Targeting and engagement in a volatile market
The evolving economic situation has significantly impacted shareholder bases, and your ‘target investor’ may have changed. Here we’ll be sharing practical advice on how to engage with an increasingly dynamic market, provide reassurance to your existing shareholders and adapt your approach with new investors.
Moderator: Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine
Scott Parsons, SVP, investor relations, Alamos Gold
Sherry Wendt, VP, investor relations, Cenovus Energy
David Whyte, CEO, Irwin
10:15 AM
Networking break and morning refreshments
10:45 AM
Environmental update: Responding to changing environmental priorities and ‘ESG fatigue’
The war in Ukraine and resulting energy crisis has had a huge impact on the conversation around environmental issues. Whilst some stakeholders worry it gets too much attention, others are pushing for increased regulations, transparency and action.
In this session our panellists will discuss how the landscape has changed and how best to communicate your company’s environmental performance in an age of increasing ‘ESG fatigue’.
Moderator: Laurie Havelock, editor-at-large, IR Magazine
Mihaela Stefanov, director of corporate social responsibility, Boralex
Valerie Durand, head of IR & corporate sustainability, Air Canada
Janet Craig, founding partner, Endeavour IR
11:30 AM
Managing the new workforce: Communicating social impact in 2023
‘Social washing’, like greenwashing, is a growing concern for investors. Unprecedented shifts in the labour market and the scramble for talent have emphasised the importance of communicating your social story effectively and – more importantly – ensuring these commitments are fulfilled.
Moderator: Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine
Gordana Terkalas, SVP, head of human resources, Aecon
12:00 PM
Roundtables: Exchange ideas with your peers in group discussions
How the roundtables work:
Topics:
Stephanie Amaimo, VP, investor relations, Fortis
Sylvie Harton, chief business strategy officer, Lumi
Greg Secord, VP, investor relations, OpenText
Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine
Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine
12:45 PM
Lunch
13:45 PM
Back to the ‘new’ normal: Getting the in-person vs virtual balance right
We know by now that the shift to more remote working is here to stay – but to what extent? Companies are still figuring out the right balance between online and in-person engagement and how best to maximise both efficiency and authenticity.
Moderator: Laurence Taylor, senior conference producer, IR Magazine
Michael Barrett, VP, investor relations and investments, Element Fleet Management
Omar Javed, VP, investor relations, Hydro One
Ben Riley, head of business development, Lumi
14:30 PM
The evolution of IR talent: Preparing yourself and your team for the future of investor relations
The role and perception of IR has evolved significantly over the last few years, with many IROs finding themselves increasingly involved in other sides of the business. Not only has the scope of IR broadened, but the expectations put on IROs to fulfil their core responsibilities have grown as well.
Here we explore what trend towards more diverse and adaptable talent means for the career prospects of IROs, the development of teams and the future of the profession as a whole.
Moderator: Yvette Lokker, President and CEO, CIRI
Maeghan Albiston, VP, capital markets, Canadian Pacific Railway
Dave Hughes, VP, investor relations, Imperial Oil
Quentin Weber, senior advisor, investor relations, WSP
15:15 PM
Investor Q&A: Hear directly from investors on their priorities in 2023
During this open Q&A session, our panel of investors will address any concerns and questions you may have about what to expect in 2023. This is your chance to engage directly with a range of investors on various topics, including:
Moderator: Steve Wade, head of event content, IR Magazine
Marc Gagnon, VP, portfolio manager, Industrial Alliance Investment Management
Erin Greenfield, president and portfolio manager, Greenfield Investment Management
Andy Huynh, portfolio manager, public equities, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
16:00 PM
Closing remarks and end of conference
To inquire about speaking at a future forum, please contact [email protected] or call +44 20 8004 4818
Greg Secord
VP, investor relations
OpenText
Ben Riley
Head of business development
Lumi
Leslie Preston
Managing director, senior economist
TD
Mihaela Stefanov
Director of corporate social responsibility
Boralex
Janet Craig
Founding partner
Endeavour IR
David Whyte
CEO
Irwin
Sherry Wendt
VP, investor relations
Cenovus Energy
As Vice-President, Investor Relations, Sherry Wendt leads Cenovus’s investor relations team and is
responsible for stewarding Cenovus’s capital markets messaging and relationships with the investment
community and shareholders.
Sherry has over 20 years of experience in the energy sector and joined Cenovus in 2015. She has led
Cenovus Investor Relations since 2018. Before that, she served as Associate General Counsel, Assistant
Corporate Secretary and Director, Corporate Secretarial Legal at Cenovus. Prior to joining Cenovus,
Sherry spent over 7 years with Penn West Energy, serving as Corporate Secretary and Corporate
Counsel. Sherry began her career with Bennett Jones LLP where she focused on energy and corporate
law.
Sherry holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Commerce
(Actuarial Mathematics) degree from the University of Manitoba.
Yvette Lokker
President and CEO
CIRI
Andy Huynh
Portfolio manager, public equities
HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
Marc Gagnon
VP, portfolio manager
Industrial Alliance Investment Management
Marc has over 17 years of investment industry experience as a financial analyst, consultant on investment funds and portfolio manager. He employs a proprietary cash-flow model to identify high-quality, industry-leading companies with attractive dividend growth potential.
Marc has an MBA from Laval University and received his CFA designation in 1995.
Quentin Weber
Senior advisor, investor relations
WSP
Dave Hughes
VP, investor relations
Imperial Oil
Stephanie Amaimo
VP, investor relations
Fortis
Valerie Durand
Head of IR and corporate sustainability
Air Canada
Gordana Terkalas
SVP, head of human resources
Aecon
Gordana is a versatile HR executive, who has grown her career in fast-paced, entrepreneurial organizations in the Fin-Tech, Engineering, and Construction industries, all calling for agility, progressive thinking, and strong business acumen.
Within her mandate to lead people initiatives at Aecon, Gordana co-chairs the corporation’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council, is a member of the Ethics & Compliance Committee, and leads the Organizational Change Management Community of Practice.
Gordana is a Board member of the Toronto Workforce Innovation Group and enjoys volunteering her time to programs that support women’s development in the workplace. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a CHRL Designation and is a member of the Association of Change Management Professionals.
Scott Parsons
SVP, investor relations
Alamos Gold
Meaghan Albiston
Vice president of capital markets
CP
Maeghan Albiston is the Assistant Vice President of Investor Relations and Pensions at Canadian Pacific (CP). Prior to joining the Investor Relations team in 2011, Maeghan held various financial management roles with CP in the areas of financial analysis, corporate planning and treasury. In addition to leading the investor relations function, Maeghan also oversees the management of CP’s pension plans, including CP’s $13 billion defined benefit pension plan — one of the oldest and largest corporate pension plans in Canada. This combined role provides Maeghan with a unique perspective on the capital markets and strong ties to a variety of stakeholders across the investment industry.
During Maeghan’s tenure in investor relations, CP’s market cap has grown from $10 billion to over $50 billion. She has communicated CP’s strategy through major corporate events including a high profile proxy battle with an activist shareholder, the roll-out of a significant corporate turnaround plan, network acquisitions and divestments and executive transitions. CP’s IR team is regularly recognized by shareholders and professional associations for their transparent approach to communications. In 2020 Maeghan was named by Institutional Investor magazine to the All-Canada Executive Team as best IR Professional in the capital goods/industrials sector. The magazine also recognized CP for best IR program, best ESG reporting and best analyst day. CP was also recognized by IR Magazine in 2019 for ‘Best Use of Technology and Social Media for IR’ and named a 2018 Global TopGun Company for Transparency and Reporting by Brendan Wood International.
Michael Barrett
Vice president of investor relations and investments
Element Fleet Management
Erin Greenfield
president and portfolio manager
Greenfield Investment Management
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 Daily Telegraph as an assistant editor on the City desk. In his spare time, he is a keen boardgamer and hosts a podcast about them called Idle Fantasy. He lives in London with his dog, Mischa.
Steven Wade
head of event content
IR Magazine
Steve Wade is a content researcher and conference producer at IR Magazine where he is responsible for crowd-sourcing intelligence on the big global issues facing investor relations. Steve also creates events where the IROs and the wider financial community can discuss, debate, and learn about ways to develop the IR function.
Prior to IR Magazine, Steven’s background has been in corporate social responsibility and responsible investment. During his time at Ethical Corporation (now Reuters Events), Steve launched the ESG symposium, an event focused on connecting the socially responsible investment community with corporate sustainability leaders at listed companies. Steve was a judge for the Deloitte Green Frog Awards, celebrating the best corporate reporting in Eastern Europe. Steve also presented research at the Global Sustainable Event Summit in London and has spoken about extra-financial reporting with the United Nations Global Compact, the World Bank, and the Polish Ministry of Finance.
Steve has a degree in Event Management and enjoys playing rugby in his spare time.
Omar Javed
Vice president of investor relations
Hydro One
Mr. Javed is the Vice President of Investor Relations at Hydro One Limited. He assumed the Head of IR role in 2018, after joining Hydro One investor relations team in 2015 shortly after its initial public offering. Mr. Javed has played a key role in shaping the successful investor relations program at Hydro One, which was recognized as the Best Investor Relations for an IPO by IR Magazine. He has tremendous experience with both private and public markets having worked in Private Equity, Investment Management and Management Consulting with a focus on value creation. Mr. Javed attended Harvard Business School, Rotman School of Management, and University of Western Ontario.
Our attendees are leading IR practitioners with an established track record and strategic IR role within their company.
Below is a sample list of current attendees:
Job title | Company | Job title | Company | |
Associate, IR | Alamos Gold | Manager, corporate affairs | Aecon | |
CFO | Xtract One Technologies | Manager, IR | Nutrien | |
CFO | Black Diamond Group | Manager, IR | Fortis | |
CFO | DIRTT Environmental Solutions | Manager, IR | Marathon Gold | |
Corporate communications | Troilus Gold | Senior advisor, IR | TransAlta | |
Director, capital markets | Tidewater Midstream | Senior advisor, IR | WSP Global | |
Director, corporate development | Pivotree | Senior analyst, IR | Alimentation Couche-Tard | |
Director, IR | Dialogue Health Technologies | Senior Director, IR | Boralex | |
Director, IR | BMO Financial Group | Senior IR analyst | Fortis | |
Director, IR | Nutrien | Senior manager, investor, ESG reporting | Tricon Residential | |
Director, IR | Taiga Motors | Senior manager, IR | CN | |
Director, IR | Calian | Senior manager, IR | Tricon Residential | |
Director, IR | New Gold | Sustainability and ESG specialist | DIRTT Environmental Solutions | |
Director, IR | Precision Drilling | SVP, corporate development and IR | Aecon Group | |
Director, IR | Osisko Development Corporation | VP, capital markets | Black Diamond Group | |
Director, IR and treasury | TC Transcontinental | SVP, IR | Alamos Gold | |
EA and IR associate | Canadian Tire Corporation | VP, head of IR | RBC | |
Senior manager, IR | Applied Material | VP, IR | Sernova | |
Head of IR | Coveo Solutions | VP, IR | Hudbay Minerals | |
IR, associate | New Gold | VP, IR and corporate communications | Real Matters |
Why partner with us?
The IR Magazine Forum – Canada brings together some of the most influential people in the IR community.
The event offers an effective approach to targeting clients when they are exploring how they can improve their IR practice. Through our unrivaled knowledge of the subject matter and commitment to in-depth agenda research, our events are guaranteed to attract a qualified audience.
The unique buzz we create at our in-person events – a far cry from a traditional conference – makes them multi-faceted and highly interactive with great engagement in particular from heads of IR. This allows our partners to have meaningful conversations with corporates who are deciding which parts of their IR program to invest in, which service providers to engage and which consultants to retain. By partnering with us on an event, you can generate leads, showcase your thought leadership and position yourselves as the partner of choice to the IR community.
We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can get in front of a truly engaged and motivated audience at the IR Magazine Forum – Canada. Get in touch with Ian Richman or call on +1 212 430 6865.
In association with
Forum Partners
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Lumi has offices in 12 countries across Europe, APAC, The Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
Lumi’s platform not only provides efficient and secure solutions for annual or quarterly meetings but also supports companies in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. With the rise of ESG concerns, many companies are seeking ways to minimize their environmental impact, and Lumi’s platform provides a viable solution. By facilitating virtual attendance for stakeholders and shareholders, Lumi enables companies to reduce travel-related emissions and paper usage. This not only reduces the environmental impact of meetings but also provides a cost-effective and convenient solution for attendees who may not be able to travel to the meeting location. By leveraging Lumi’s platform, companies can demonstrate their commitment to ESG principles while enhancing engagement with their stakeholders.
For more information, visit: https://www.lumiglobal.com/investor-relations.
Supporting Partners
Register your interest for the 2024 forum by filling in the form at the link below. You will be the first to receive important updates about the event and details about how to book your place.
If you have any questions, please contact Thomas Williams at [email protected] or call +44 208 090 2156.
IR Magazine are proud supporters of Dress for Success Toronto. Thank you to all who were able to bring along any of the items on the donation list to be donated to those in need through this scheme.
Founded in 2009, Dress for Success Toronto (DFS Toronto) is a registered charity whose mission is to help build a stronger community where women are financially independent, treated with dignity and respect, and are directly impacting their lives and those of their families.
The charity provides solutions to job seekers of any age, ethnicity and background in need of support during their transition from unemployment to economic independence. DFS Toronto creates an empowering experience for its Clients in an inclusive, non-judgmental and supportive environment where they feel comfortable and safe.
For further information about their work, please visit toronto.dressforsuccess.org
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