September 23, 2022
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Metropolitan, Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive, 66th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606
Agenda
Investor
relations officers needed to be even more flexible and strategic to succeed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
fast-changing landscape caused IROs to “start” (e.g., more aggressively addressing concerns about ESG, supply
chain constraints and other headwinds), “stop” (in-person meetings during worldwide lockdowns, often replaced by
new and improved virtual meeting technology) and “continue” (emphasizing fundamentals to ensure an IR program
meets its goals). This stop-start-continue approach seems equally valuable as COVID evolves into an endemic –
and more manageable – issue. Evaluate your IR program’s start, stop and continue opportunities with help from
insights and best practices of the industry trailblazers and thought leaders at our full-day IR Workshop. You’ll
enjoy dialogue with panelists and IR colleagues, outstanding networking, meaningful connections and fresh ideas
from IR service providers at our Exhibitor Showcase.
Keynote: BlackRock: A
Passive Investor but Not a Passive Asset Manager
Speaker: John
Roe, Managing Director, BlackRock
BlackRock has become one of the biggest voices in governance – and John Roe, managing
director and head of BlackRock Investment Stewardship (BIS), Americas, is becoming one of its most
influential leaders. He joined the firm in November 2021 after co-leading Joele Frank’s ESG group as
a partner, and earlier headed ISS Analytics. Roe can discuss how BlackRock’s investment stewardship team engages
with companies on governance and sustainability issues and helps shape industry standards through dialogue and
thought leadership.
Panel Discussions
A Look Forward at Next
Generation Investors
While new investors have flooded into the markets over the past couple of
years, how will they behave over the next decade? Disrupting priorities for “next generation” investors and IROs
alike: ongoing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as increased digital adoption; greater interest in ESG
factors, further emphasized by pending SEC regulations; and greater market volatility fueled by passive investing
and algorithmic trading. How can IROs prepare their programs, management teams and boards for these and future
changes while appealing to the next generation of investors?
ESG Influences on the
Buy-Side
While ESG has become a pillar of an IRO’s responsibilities, opinions vary on which ESG
factors are most effective in moving the buy-side to make favorable investment decisions. Given rapid evolution of
the ESG landscape and new SEC regulations on the horizon, how should an IRO help set priorities for corporate ESG
programs, initiatives and disclosures? Our buy-side panelists play an integral role in their companies’ ESG
investment decisions, so they can explain the most important factors in their decision-making processes and how IROs
can maximize the value of ESG outreach to the buy-side.
Creative Approaches to Investor
Engagement
How investor relations professionals communicate with shareholders and prospective
investors continues to evolve as we navigate a post-pandemic return to “normal.” How can IROs expand their
engagement programs to better communicate with current and new investors? Our panelists will share their creativity
and success stories on engaging with investors in the current environment using virtual meeting technology,
multimedia, new targeting tools, social media and/or an in-person “boots on the ground” sales
approach.
The Rise in Passive and Thematic Investing
Powerful transformations in
our economy due to technological and societal trends are leading to a rise in thematic investing. Identifying and
understanding how macro and structural trends drive thematic investing, trading activity and stock prices beyond a
company’s fundamentals is something every IRO needs to understand. Our panel will discuss the changing market
structure, the rise in passive investing and how thematic investing is reshaping the investment world.
Sponsors