IR Magazine
IR Magazine Awards – Europe

IR Magazine Awards ‒ Europe
Celebrating IR excellence

Thursday, June 18, 2020

8 Northumberland Avenue, London

About the IR Magazine awards

The IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2020 will once again honor excellence in the investor relations profession. The prestigious ceremony will host the best of the IR community from across Europe.

Since the event first launched in 1990, 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. Over the last two decades the awards program has expanded to recognize more aspects of an IRO’s role as we add new categories to the list.

By popular demand, we once again presented 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 Europe.

For our awards-by-research 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. For our awards-by-nomination categories, companies have the opportunity to nominate themselves or other publicly listed companies, free of charge, for aspects of IR that complement our awards by research. To be the first to know about the 2020 nomination process register your interest here.

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 Europe. For inquiries about the research process and timeline, please contact [email protected].

Please note that the categories below are subject to change depending on the research results.

View the entire list of 2019 winners and nominees here

Best overall investor relations

Best overall investor relations

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program.  

Best investor relations officer

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.

Best in sector

Best in sector

This category covers companies that have most impressed the investment community with their overall IR program in their sector:
  • Communications
  • Consumer discretionary
  • Consumer staples
  • Energy
  • Financials
  • Healthcare
  • Industrials
  • Materials
  • Real estate
  • Technology
  • Utilities

Best in region

Best in region

The first thing to explain is that our awards by research are different from our awards by nomination: 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.

The research survey for the 2020 awards will be open soon. We will invite your buy and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers to take part in the survey. If you would like to send us the list ahead of time, please send an excel file with their names, firm, their direct telephone number and their email address to [email protected].

November – December: Online survey
IR Magazine has been building investment community databases over the past 20 years. As part of the updating process, listed companies are contacted every year for details of the professionals who currently cover their stock. A preliminary electronic survey of buy-side and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers is then conducted.

December – February: Telephone survey
The responses from the electronic survey then go to Mary Maude Research for initial analysis. The research firm determines what will constitute a representative sample, weighted for Europe’s industry sectors and geographical regions. It then conducts in-depth interviews with 500 portfolio managers and analysts across Europe. As the research progresses, the sample is adjusted to ensure appropriate weightings are maintained.

March – April: Results analysis & short lists
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 and by country.

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 benchmarking tool.

IR Magazine receives the results in March 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.

June: Winners announced
This year’s winners will be announced live on stage at a black-tie awards ceremony in London on June 18, attended by the leading lights of European investor relations.

July: Report published
After the event the Investor Perception Study – Europe 2020 report will be made available to professional subscribers to IR Magazine. This report will profile the top ranked companies and reveal information on how they conduct their IR activities and why investors voted for them.

For further information on this year’s investor survey, please contact Janet Dignan at +44 20 8004 6322 or [email protected].

 

Attendees say

"Perfect: venue; speaker: mood; food"

Carlo Di Pierro - Banca Sistema

"Very well organised. Paul Sinha was an excellent host, who injected good amounts of energy into the evening. Food was excellent too!"

Charles Chalkly - Hays

"Excellent evening in the heart of London!"

Morten Buus - RD:IR

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 members.

Register your details here to be notified when nominations open for 2020.

Please note that the categories below are subject to change.

View the entire list of 2019 winners and nominees here

Best annual report

Best annual report

Are shareholders and analysts raving about the quality of your annual print or online report? Give us your vision of good reporting practice. Judges will be looking for a well-articulated equity story, ease of flow or navigation, state-of-the-art design and consistency/complementarity between different reports.

Best crisis management

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 materiality reporting

Best ESG materiality reporting

Investors are increasingly looking to determine the material ESG risks and opportunities for companies. But the range of data and inconsistency of reporting can make it difficult to get a full picture. This award recognizes the achievement of companies that produce clear investor-facing communications about ESG issues that are material to their business.

Best investor event

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.

Best IR during a corporate transaction

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

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 use of multimedia for IR

Best use of multimedia 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

Rising star

This award seeks to honor individuals who bring fresh thinking and a unique approach to the profession. Tell us why you (or someone else) have what it takes to be the next Magdalena Moll! This category is open to anyone who has been working in IR for less than five years.  

The awards by nomination differ from our traditional awards by research, 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 members.

The judging process is made up of the following stages:

Stage 1: Judges are allocated to categories and sent the entry packs, which contain a longlist of submissions to review and score.
Stage 2: Judges are asked to score each submission based on how well the entrant has addressed the category criteria and entry form requirements for each section. These scores are collated and averaged by the IR Magazine awards team and the top scoring entries will form our shortlist of nominees per category.
Stage 3: Once the shortlists are determined, judges come together with renewed scrutiny to discuss and debate the winning entry. This final stage will determine the winners and high commendations (where applicable) in each category.

The judges scores will not be shared with nominees, however, comments may be published in articles or reports after the event. The judges are not required to make comments against every submission.

Who attends?

Attendees are leading IR practitioners from across Europe. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role within his or her company. We had over 300 IR professionals attend in 2019. They included:

Click here to request the full attendee list

Job title Company name Job title Company name
Assistant company secretary Henry Boot Head of investor relations Lloyds Banking Group
Assistant company secretary AstraZeneca Head of investor relations Phoenix Group Holdings
Assistant director IFC Group Head of investor relations REN – Redes Energéticas Nacionais
Business development consultant Design Portfolio Head of investor relations RWE
Business development manager EQS Group Head of investor relations SEGRO
Capital markets & IR manager Neinor Homes Head of investor relations Tesco
CEO CMi2i Head of investor relations Umicore
CEO, EMEA Orient Capital Head of investor relations William Hill
Chairperson ABIRD Head of investor relations TUI Group
Chief commodity trading strategy En+ Metals Head of investor relations TUI Group
Client director EQS Group Head of investor relations and comms Euronav
Client relationship director Jones and Palmer Head of investor relations and comms Orange
Client relationship director Jones and Palmer Head of IR services RD:IR
Co-Head of client relations, EMEA Orient Capital Head of marketing Trifast
Co-Head of client relations, EMEA Orient Capital Head of PR, brand and corporate comms EMIS Group
Co-head of investment trusts Blackrock Head of research Zeus Capital
Company secretary Henry Boot Head of sales and marketing, EMEA Orient Capital
Company Secretary Polymetal International Investor relations IHG Group
Consultant Jones and Palmer Investor relations director McCarthy and Stone
Consultant Jones and Palmer Investor relations manager Erste Group Bank
Corporate access AstraZeneca Investor relations manager Ferrovial
Corporate accountant & company secretary Trifast Investor relations manager GlaxoSmithKline
Creative lead Jones and Palmer Investor relations manager GlaxoSmithKline
Creative lead Jones and Palmer Investor relations manager Hays
Digital director Design Portfolio Investor relations manager HSBC Holdings
Director CMi2i Investor relations manager Kerry Group
Director EcoAct Investor relations manager Lomsko Pivo
Director capital markets & strategic initiatives En+ Consult Investor relations manager Novo Nordisk
Director of communications McCarthy and Stone Investor relations manager Phoenix Group Holdings
Director of corporate messaging, IR Jones and Palmer Investor relations manager Umicore
Director of financial communications LVMH Investor relations manager Virgin Atlantic
Director of investor relations AstraZeneca IR IHG Group
Director of investor relations AstraZeneca IR director MTS
Director of investor relations AstraZeneca IR manager – AGA Apax Partners
Director of investor relations AstraZeneca IR officer Orange
Director of investor relations Credit Suisse IR services researcher RD:IR
Director of investor relations Merlin Properties IRO MOL
Director of investor relations Merlin Properties Junior IR manager TUI Group
Director of investor relations Valmet Managing director EQS Group
Director of strategy, M&A and IR TUI Group Managing director Leaders Arena
DR team JP Morgan Managing director RD:IR
DR team JP Morgan Managing director Rothschild & Co
DR team JP Morgan Managing director, EMEA D.F. King
DR team JP Morgan Marketing & business development executive RD:IR
EVP, corporate services OTC Markets Group Marketing, comms and events manager MEIRA
Finance director Inland Homes Media and external affairs manager Umicore
Financial risk manager Novo Nordisk PA, corporate development and IR AstraZeneca
Global head of IR GlaxoSmithKline Project manager Jones and Palmer
Group communications & brand coordinator Henry Boot Regional manager UK & Ireland Business Wire
Group director of investor relations Unibail Rodamco Westfield Senior consultant EcoAct
Group finance director Henry Boot Senior consultant Fairvue Partners
Group financial accountant Northgate Senior director of investor relations AstraZeneca
Group financial controller Arix Bioscience Senior investor relations manager K+S
Group financial controller Northgate Senior investor relations manager Schneider Electric
Head of audit, enabling units & IT AstraZeneca Senior investor relations manager Sika
Head of business development CMi2i Senior investor relations manager Tesco
Head of EMEA issuer services RD:IR Senior investor relations manager HSBC Holdings
Head of global banking VTB Capital Senior investor relations officer Royal Dutch Shell
Head of HR Henry Boot Senior IR manager – UK, Ireland & Americas TUI Group
Head of international listings NYSE Senior IR officer Royal Dutch Shell
Head of investor relations Anglo Pacific Group Senior vice president, investor relations BASF
Head of investor relations Arix Bioscience Strategic financial PR and IR adviser Montfort
Head of investor relations AstraZeneca Trainee shareholder analyst RD:IR
Head of investor relations BT Group Vice president BNY Mellon
Head of investor relations BT Group Vice president – depositary receipts BNY Mellon
Head of investor relations En+ Consult Vice president, investor relations Cargotec
Head of investor relations Equinor Vice president, investor relations Kemira
Head of investor relations Garanti Bank Vice president, investor relations Kone
Head of investor relations Gruppo Banca Sistema VP IR Europe Royal Dutch Shell
Head of investor relations K+S VP, corporate services OTC Markets Group
Head of investor relations Kerry Group VP, senior business development manager BNY Mellon

 

Click here to request the full attendee list

Venue

Venue:
8 Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5BY

Accommodation:
IR Magazine has arranged preferential rates for awards guests at nearby hotels. View the hotels and rates by clicking here.

Dress code:
Black tie

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

Inquire about sponsorship

Supported by

Would you like to sponsor?

Our awards provides a unique opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential people in the European IR community. As a sponsor, 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.

Sponsoring 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

To find out more about the benefits of sponsoring the 2020 awards and the various packages available, email Sébastien Dutrieu or call on +44 77315 33165.

Make a day of it: Join our think tank

Taking place on the morning of the awards ceremony, the IR Magazine Think Tank – Europe is an invitation-only event exclusively for senior IROs.

It is free to attend and our unique format enables participants to network extensively, discuss, debate and dissect topical issues affecting European IR. We have over 100 senior IR professionals attending each year.

It is far removed from the traditional conference set-up as the event consists of a series of panel sessions followed by roundtables on select IR issues. All discussions are confidential so you can have a free and open chat with your peers.

Visit our think tank website to view the list of topics we will discuss and request an invite.

Book your seats

Sign up for the complete experience below. You will have full access to the welcome drinks reception, a three-course dinner, the prestigious awards ceremony and the fun-filled after party! Please note that these are our early-bird rates which will expire on May 1, 2020. Any bookings made after this date, will be charged at the standard rate.

The ‘corporate attendee’ rate is reserved for corporate IR professionals at publicly listed companies only. All others should book under the ‘non-corporate’ rate.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with booking, please contact Priscilla Lim on +44 20 8004 4989 or at [email protected].

Please note that the IR Magazine Awards may contain flashing lights or sudden loud sound effects.

2019 Highlights

Contact us

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