Prioritization and time management are key to delivering value
Being indispensable isn’t without its downsides and IR teams that consist of one person (or one senior person) face great challenges in this respect.
‘They are expected to provide swift and insightful responses on an increasing range of issues to the investment community for which they need strong support and good relationships across the business,’ says Sandra Novakov of Citigate Dewe Rogerson.
‘In addition, according to our research, 65 percent of IROs have additional responsibilities alongside their core IR role, most commonly for corporate communications, ESG and strategy. The increasingly integrated nature of corporate communications and the need to consider multiple stakeholders when delivering updates to the market have placed IR teams worldwide under increasing pressure.’
With this in mind, while striving to be the best they can be, is there such a thing as too much on a trusted-adviser IRO’s plate? No, says Rob Gurner, head of investor relations at Plus500 – though he adds the caveat that effective organization is key to successful workload management.
As long as you can prioritize and appropriately manage your work and activities, it shouldn’t be too stressful
‘I enjoy challenges and I love being busy so, actually, I embrace being the go-to person,’ he says. ‘As long as you can prioritize and appropriately manage your work and activities, it shouldn’t be too stressful.’
Craig Marks, vice president of IR at Ipsen, echoes this sentiment: ‘If you’re true to the IR values of honesty, proactivity, reliability, knowledge, passion and clarity, there are no downsides. Being ‘always on’ in a job you love is no bad thing.’
In the experience of Shelly Patel of Rathbones Group, being able to call on the skill and support of colleagues is key to dealing with the often-onerous IR workload.
‘This is a role where you need to be able to multi-task and prioritize,’ she points out. ‘If there are a lot of things happening in the business where IR is involved – strategy, M&A, results – it can quickly seem like a mountainous task to ensure the smooth delivery of the function.
‘This is when it becomes important to know your business – and who else in the business can help with certain requests. Having a strong internal network can really help with managing workload. This is particularly important when you have a small IR team.’
