IR Magazine Awards – US
Celebrating IR Excellence

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Cipriani 25 Broadway, New York

Submit an entry

About the awards

We are delighted to announce that the IR Magazine Awards – US 2022 will take place in-person on Thursday, March 31 at Cipriani 25 Broadway. This very special event will honor excellence in the investor relations profession across the US 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 that fuel 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 the US.

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 entry guidelines section of the form, please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 8004 5339.

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

*NEW FOR 2022* 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

*NEW FOR 2022* 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

William Galligan
Former vice president of investor relations
Kansas City Southern

William Galligan directed the Investor Relations Department of Kansas City Southern (KCS) for a quarter century during which the company transformed itself from a multi-industry conglomerate to becoming a major participant in the North American logistics network after acquiring Mexico’s primary rail concession to combine with its U.S. railroad. He, and KCS, have been the recipient of a number of IR Magazine Awards, Including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Bill is currently finishing the final chapters of a history of KCS.
Gary LaBranche
President & CEO
National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)

Gary LaBranche, FASAE, CAE, is the President & CEO of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). As CEO, LaBranche provides strategic executive leadership to advance the NIRI’s mission and goals. He represents NIRI to regulators, lawmakers, the media and other audiences.

Before joining NIRI in March 2017, he was CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). ACG serves 90,000 investors, lenders, executives and advisors to middle market companies, including 1,000 private equity firms.

An association professional for 40+ years, LaBranche has served as CEO for three other organizations and as a senior executive at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining ACG, LaBranche was CEO for the Association Forum of Chicagoland. At the Forum and ASAE he was responsible for identifying, developing and sharing best practices, models and innovation in association management, professional development and meeting planning. At ASAE he was responsible for the 6,000 attendee “Super Bowl of Conventions,” launch of e-learning and modernization of the Certified Association Executive (CAE) program.

He was named an ASAE Fellow (FASAE) in 1995. He was the ASAE Key Award winner for 2007, the highest award in the profession. ASSOCIATION TRENDS named him the 2012 Association Executive of the Year. He is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100 and is past chairman of the Chamber’s Institute of Organization Management. LaBranche has served on ASAE’s 4 governing boards and chaired ASAE’s for-profit subsidiary, ASAE Business Services, Inc.

He is the author of 300+ articles, podcasts and columns, including “The Association CEO Succession Toolkit” published by ASAE in 2018. He authored the chapter, “Managing the Complex Association Enterprise” in ASAE’s Handbook on Professional Practices in Association Management, 3rd edition and its update in the 4^th edition. He has consulted/presented to 300+ associations.

LaBranche was profiled as an innovative leader in the book, Hope: How Triumphant Leaders Create the Future, by Andrew Razeghi. He has also been featured in Strategic Transformation: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change.
Carol Murray-Negron
President
Equanimity

Carol Murray-Negron, president of Equanimity, Inc., is an executive coach who works with senior executives and leaders to optimize their performance, leadership presence, and strategic communications. Her prior corporate experience includes senior positions with Avon Products, Inc, both in the US and international divisions. During her tenure as Vice President of Investor Relations, Avon’s IR program received industry recognition as “Most Improved IR” among mid-cap companies. Carol is a past recipient of IR Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A member of the NIRI, The Association for Investor Relations, she recently served on NIRI’s Board of Directors and currently serves on NIRI’s Senior Roundtable Steering Committee. Carol was named a NIRI Fellow in 2014. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Yale School of Drama and a B.A. from Chatham University, where she received the 2016 Alumni Leadership Award.
Maureen Wolff
CEO
Sharon Merrill Associates

Maureen is an accomplished visionary in the fields of investor relations and corporate communications with more than 30 years of success counseling C-level executives and directors to raise the level of their communications, build credibility and maximize shareholder value. As a nationally recognized expert in the complex and ever-changing landscape of corporate governance and investor relations, Maureen is regularly called upon to bridge the intersection between the two fields. She has earned a reputation for providing clients with stellar advice on implementing best-in-class Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies; navigating through proxy contests and activism campaigns; elevating proxy communications; raising capital and developing crisis communication strategies.

Maureen has helped to chart the vision for the future of the IR profession in several industry leadership roles including serving as a programming committee member for the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), where she is responsible for provoking dialogue among board members in the areas of shareholder activism, proxy contests, ESG, diversity in the boardroom and crisis communications.

Maureen has a longstanding track record of leadership within the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) including serving as chairman and a board member, and spearheading the development of NIRI’s standards of practice. She also served as chairman of the NIRI IR Certification Council and helped develop the inaugural Investor Relations Certification (IRC) exam, a first-of-its-kind qualification that is regarded as a valuable benchmark for the IRO. She also has co-chaired NIRI’s annual conference and served as president of NIRI’s Boston Chapter, where she is currently an honorary director.

She also has been recognized as a NIRI Fellow and with a seat at the NIRI Senior Roundtable. In these roles, Maureen provides ongoing mentorship and thought leadership on leading trends and issues impacting the investor relations profession.

Maureen’s work also has been recognized with awards from several high-profile industry organizations including the Public Relations Society of America, Publicity Club of New England, the Stevie Awards and Women’s Business magazine. She has appeared on CNBC and has been featured in national newspapers and magazines including BusinessWeek, Investor’s Business Daily, IR Magazine, Management Review, The Boston Globe and The Financial Times.

Prior to joining Sharon Merrill Associates in 1985, Maureen held positions in the investor relations and corporate communications departments at Lotus Development Corporation. She received a B.S. degree in Communications from Montclair State University. Her specialized training includes completion of prescribed studies in “Financials and IR” at the Simmons College Graduate Program in Communications.
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

"IR Magazine always puts on an excellent event. I look forward to attending each year."

Zillow Group

"We had a great time at the awards ceremony. It was very well done. Super fun! "

Axon Enterprise

"Fantastic event! Kuddos to the team!"

8x8

"Amazing award show. Organized and executed very professionally and a lot of fun to attend."

Ally Financial

"The IR Magazine Awards was an entertaining and well-organized event. Food was spectacular and the ambiance was on par. "

Innisfree

"The show and the entire process was fantastic. Your team does a great job bringing the IR community together to celebrate accomplishments and learn from each other, despite the unusual circumstances!"

MSA Safety

"Great networking with the best of the best"

Blackbaud

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 the US. 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.

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 IR by a senior management team

Best IR by a non-US company in the US market (excluding Canada)

Best in sector: communications

Best in sector: consumer discretionary

Best in sector: consumer staples

Best in sector: energy

Best in sector: financials

Best in sector: healthcare

Best in sector: industrials

Best in sector: materials

Best in sector: real estate

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.

March 31, 2022: Winners announced

And finally… the winners are announced live at the black tie awards gala on Thursday, March 31, 2022!

March 2022: Report published

Shortly after the awards, the Investor Perception Study – US 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 awards

Attendees at this event are leading IR practitioners from across the US. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role within their company.

Below is a sample of some of our past attendees:

Company	Job title	Company	Job title
Henry Schein	Chairman of the board and CEO	Host Hotels & Resorts	SVP, investor relations
Uber Technologies	Director, head of investor relations	The Estee Lauder Companies	SVP, investor relations
Stoneridge	Director, investor relations	T-Mobile US	SVP, investor relations
Hersha Hospitality Trust	Director, investor relations	Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings	SVP, investor relations, ESG & corp comm
Xcel Energy	Director, investor relations	Palo Alto Networks	SVP, investor relations, M&A finance
Medtronic	EVP – chief financial officer	Samsung Life Insurance	US chief representative officer
FIS	EVP, corporate finance and investor relations	First Republic Bank	VP, director of investor relations
Citi	Global head DR IR	JB Hunt Transport Services	VP, finance & investor relations
adidas	Head of investor relations	ConocoPhillips	VP, investor relations
Zoom	Head of investor relations	The Sherwin-Williams Company	VP, investor relations
Intel Corporation	Investor relations director	Stanley Black & Decker	VP, investor relations
Roche Holdings	IR officer	Atlassian	VP, investor relations
Goldman Sachs	Managing director, investor relations	ZoomInfo	VP, investor relations
Tractor Supply Company	President & CEO	American Tower Corporation	VP, investor relations
CFA society San Diego	Public awareness chair	Zebra Technologies Corporation	VP, investor relations
Better Capital First	Senior director	Switch	VP, investor relations and FP&A
Ally Financial	Senior director – IR	CooperCompanies	VP, investor relations and risk
Amedisys	SVP of finance	Equinix	VP, investor relations and sustainability
Blackstone	SVP, investor relations	BP	VP, investor relations, North America
Fiserv	SVP, investor relations

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 US 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

Bank of America

Bank of America

Awards Partners

Bank of America is one of the world’s largest financial institutions, serving large corporations, small and middle-market businesses and individual consumers in more than 150 countries with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. BofA Securities, the institutional broker dealer business of Bank of America, is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. The company provides, through various banking and broker-dealer affiliates, M&A advice, equity and debt capital-raising solutions, lending, risk management, treasury, liquidity and payments management. Bank of America Corporation is listed on the NYSE.

For more information, please visit www.bofaml.com
Cowen

Cowen

Awards Partners

Cowen Inc. (“Cowen” or the “Company”) is a diversified financial services firm offering investment banking services, equity and credit research, sales and trading, prime brokerage, global clearing, commission management services and actively managed alternative investment products. Cowen focuses on delivering value-added capabilities to our clients in order to help them outperform. Founded in 1918, the Company is headquartered in New York and has offices worldwide. Learn more at Cowen.com
EQS Group

EQS Group

Awards Partners

EQS Group is a leading international technology provider for Digital Investor Relations. More than 8,000 companies worldwide trust EQS’s products and services to securely, efficiently, and simultaneously fulfil complex national and international disclosure and compliance requirements to the global investment community.

The EQS COCKPIT, a cloud-based IR workflow platform, digitally maps the work processes of IR Officers, communicates with the company’s website, and distributes company releases via one of the most important financial newswires. With additional products such as websites, IR tools, digital reports, and webcasting solutions, EQS Group is a digital single source provider.

EQS Group was founded in Munich, Germany in 2000 and has developed from a start-up to an international group with offices in the world’s key financial markets. The group employs more than 300 professionals globally.

For more information, please visit www.eqs.com
Innisfree M&A Incorporated

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

Awards Partners

Innisfree provides sound advice and results-oriented implementation in domestic and cross border proxy solicitations, tender/exchange offers, mergers and other corporate actions, as well as consulting services on strategic management issues, including corporate governance and investor relations.

For more information, please visit www.innisfreema.com
Okapi Partners

Okapi Partners

Awards Partners

Okapi Partners LLC is a strategic proxy solicitation and investor response firm providing a full range of solicitation and information agent services, as well as related consultation and advice to our clients. We represent listed companies, mutual funds, and investors, providing our clients with superior service, established industry relationships and outstanding execution capabilities.

For more information, please visit our website
The Nuvo Group

The Nuvo Group

Awards Partners

The NuVo Group provides financial printing, digital publishing and EDGAR SEC electronic filing services to some of the world’s most respected financial institutions. We possess the tools, team and advanced technologies to ensure an exceptional customer experience — ease of process, rapid execution, regulatory compliance and, of course, uncompromising accuracy. Our Mission & Vision is to consistently perform in ways that make our customers’ jobs easier, and their printing and filing faster, to leverage the most experienced talent, effective tools and advanced technologies in financial printing, digital publishing and EDGAR SEC filing today in order to simplify, accelerate and enhance the end product we proudly deliver to our customers — on time, in format and on budget. To lead in the design and development of groundbreaking services, solutions and support systems, innovations that redefine the industry of financial printing, digital publishing and EDGAR SEC filing and deliver more tangible value and responsiveness to customers — compressed lead times, error-free documents, streamlined production and reduced cost. Proud to be named one of Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.

For more information, please visit www.thenuvogroup.com.

Venue

We are pleased to be hosting our awards at:

Cipriani
25 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

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
The Cipriani 25 Broadway currently operates a strict entry policy and any attendee who is unable to show the above documentation will be denied entry to the event
The venue has installed an air filtration system, which meets the standard for air filtration, ventilation and purification set by the State of New York
Face coverings are not mandatory while in the venue, but guests are welcome to wear them if preferred
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

Highlights

View the highlights from the 2021 awards ceremony.

Contact us

For partnership inquiries

Adam Dar

+1 212 430 6895
For awards inquiries

Lauren Wilson

+44 20 8004 5339
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 – USCelebrating IR Excellence

Thursday, March 31, 2022

About the awards

Awards by nomination