Capital Markets / Investor Relations in Two Minutes or Less
The Conn Smythe Trophy and Investor Relations
“For the rest of your life, nobody can take it away from you. You’re world champions.” - Bill Parcells
The beauty of sports and Corporate America is that once you accomplish something no one can take that away from you.
People will discount accomplishments and experience, but it can never be taken away, and always carries over to the next opportunity.
The Conn Smythe Trophy and Investor Relations
Watching the Stanley Cup Final, my money is on Sergei Bobrovsky for the Conn Smythe Trophy, giving up 5 goals in game four notwithstanding, which is awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the Oilers conduct the miracle comeback, the Conn Smythe will most likely go to Connor McDavid.
In order to win the Conn Smythe Trophy your team must go deep into the playoffs and you as an individual must put up other world performances throughout each round of the playoffs.
A tall order!
Sergei Bobrovsky continues to put up world-class goaltending performances and represents the primary reason that the Florida Panthers are one game away from their first Stanley Cup.
Institutional Investor and IR Magazine Awards
Investor Relations Officers have their own version of the Conn Smythe Trophy represented by Institutional Investor’s All America Executive Team and the IR Magazine Awards.
These awards are given to the best of the best of the C-Suite across all of Corporate America.
These awards typically indicate a job well-done and an executive and the executive team executing on their plan, or executing well in a crisis environment.
If the Conn Smythe is awarded to a player with the best performance throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, then what does a Conn Smythe IRO performance look like?
Here are some hallmarks:
Communication: Simplifies the narrative to generate investor interest.
Trust: Provides transparent and thoughtful responses and materials to investors.
Accessibility: Always available to answer questions and communicate with investors.
Financial Expectations Management: Actively manages consensus and works with the Sell-Side to generate quality estimates.
Earnings Materials: Develops earnings release, scripts, and investor presentations that exhibit the four aforementioned hallmarks.
Coaching: Can provide constructive feedback and convince C-Suite to make appropriate changes to attain optimal outcome.
Confidant: Trusted advisor to the CEO and CFO on all things Capital Markets / Investor Relations
These represent the hallmark characteristics of an MVP IRO.
I am proud that I have exhibited these hallmarks consistently across every IR program I have led during my career.
Remember, once you win the Conn Smythe or II, you will always carry that accomplishment forward.
No one that ever ran an Investor Relations program ever forgot how to run an Investor Relations program.
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