Hanna-Maria Heikkinen is vice president of IR at Finnish manufacturer Cargotec
Hanna-Maria Heikkinen, Cargotec
1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN IR? I have been head of IR at Finnish large-cap companies for 10 years.
2. WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE IR? I spent 10 years at Nordea, working first in product development, then as vice president and relationship manager for corporate customers, then the last three years as a sell-side equity analyst in Nordea Markets.
3. WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS? I have a master’s degree in economics and business administration. I have also studied the IMD and CFA programs.
4. HOW IS YOUR TEAM SET UP? We have a team of four, including me. We have responsibility for both investor relations and external communications, including media relations and brand.
5. HOW MANY CONFERENCES AND ROADSHOWS DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN? In 2019, we organized 19 roadshows in the US and various European cities. We also participated in several conferences and seminars, such as the SEB Industrial and Technology Seminar, and attended several events targeted at private investors.
6. DO YOU EVER HOLD INVESTOR OR CAPITAL MARKETS DAYS? We organize large capital market days, but our approach includes putting on smaller, more-focused events every quarter.
7. HOW DO YOU MAKE USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS FOR IR? We actively produce investor-targeted content on our website and social media, making information quickly accessible to both professional and retail investors. Financial bloggers and social media influencers are part of our IR target groups, and we meet with them frequently. We also have an IR blog and IR video gallery.
8. DO YOU RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM ANY EXTERNAL IR FIRMS? We do most of the work in-house. We co-operate with Nordic online banks like Nordnet and Inderes, which actively produce content for retail investors and have a large base of customers and followers. For example, we recently created a retail investor portal together with Nordnet, reaching out to its clientele.
9. WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR QUESTION FROM INVESTORS AND ANALYSTS RIGHT NOW? The coronavirus is of course concerning everyone right now, but this is probably the case with most companies. The most popular Cargotec-specific questions often relate to our future plans for developing our software and service business.
10. IS ESG A FOCAL POINT FOR INVESTORS? In public discussion it is becoming increasingly important, but so far that has not translated into analysts or investors asking about it in meetings. I think companies also have a responsibility to make ESG questions more relevant to investors by embedding them into their equity stories in a credible way.
11. WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF YOUR IR CAREER? I have enjoyed large transformations, like the demergers at YIT and Metso. Daily progress is important for me. Certain specific announcements can also be challenging, as you typically don’t have so much time to prepare yourself for those.
12. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF INVESTOR RELATIONS? Visiting sites with investors, and special situations such as demergers and major transformations – I feel that’s where I have learned the most.
13. AND YOUR LEAST FAVORITE? The last few days spent double-checking the interim reports can sometimes be a bit boring.
14. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK? Running, basketball, downhill skiing. Wines are also close to my heart.
15. IF YOU COULD PASS ON ONE IR LESSON, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Be proactive in difficult situations. When times get tough, that's not the time to stay quiet at the corporate office.
