James Beech
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Qualified and internationally experienced multimedia editor-in-chief and journalist. Views my own 🇪🇺🇳🇿🇦🇺
Articles by James Beech
Did I Make My Game Myself (and does it matter)?
There's talk lately about the authenticity of certain developers claiming to be a "solo dev," as in, a person developing a game by themselves. Some say that if they've received ANY help whatsoever, then they must revoke their self-proclaimed solo title, and return to their Hobbit-hole, never to be seen or spoken of again. As someone claiming to be a solo-dev, I thought I'd delve into why (or if) this title matters, and then break down my own game, Carceri, as a solo-dev case study.
Tech and AI drive strong equity returns for Norway oil fund
This time last year Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) was talking about the impact of the war in Ukraine as it reported half-year results with a -14 percent return and a -17 percent hit on equities. Today, that picture is very different as the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) – officially named the Government Pension Fund Global but commonly referred to as Norway’s oil fund – announces a 10 percent return off the back of strong equities and a weak kroner.
Hybrid AGMs on the up as virtual remains most popular format, says Lumi
Some 44 percent of the almost 2,000 AGMs facilitated by Lumi in the first half of the year were virtual – the most popular format. This compares to 35 percent that were held in a hybrid format and just over a fifth (21 percent) that were in-room. Lumi says the number of virtual meetings has grown by 9 percent on the same period last year. ‘Early signs show that hybrid meetings will surpass 2022 by a significant level,’ it states in its half year AGM report.
Meet your new IR co-pilot: Artificial intelligence
With today’s IR workload often including corporate access, sustainability and more – all while team sizes largely remain unchanged – ‘AI [artificial intelligence] can be a real accelerator for resource-constrained teams that want to be best in class,’ according to James Tickner, global head of product for IR Intelligence at Nasdaq.
IFRS Foundation takes over climate-related disclosure monitoring from TCFD
The IFRS Foundation will take over responsibility for the monitoring of the progress on companies’ climate-related disclosures from the TCFD next year at the request of the Financial Stability Board (FSB). The transfer was announced this week after the foundation officially launched the inaugural global International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards, IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, on June 26.
Eight things we learned at the IR Magazine Think Tank - Europe 2023
Think about what your business looks like in a polycrisis Sectors and geographical locations will be among the factors that impact different IROs. But stubborn inflation, supply-chain disruption, digitization and climate change linked to sustainability impacts everyone.
Novo Nordisk, Banco Santander and Unilever among winners at IR Magazine Awards - Europe 2023
Corporates and guests from almost 20 countries celebrate achievement at gala event A packed ballroom of European IR professionals in London erupted in cheers and applause for all the outstanding nominees in the running for the IR Magazine Awards – Europe 2023 last night. But there could be only one winner per category. Novo Nordisk, the $279 bn Danish multinational pharmaceutical company, was presented with the best overall investor relations (large cap) award, repeating its triumph from 2021.
Barco, HUGO BOSS and Unilever among nominees for IR Magazine Awards - Europe 2023
The cream of continental investor relations will be celebrated when the IR Magazine Awards – Europe return to London next month, with Barco, HUGO BOSS and Unilever among the dozens of nominees announced. A record number of entries were submitted and judges spent weeks scrutinizing submissions to come up with the short list, the benchmark for sector-wide excellence across Europe. The prizes will be presented in person at a black-tie gala dinner and ceremony in London on June 22.
Investor targeting: Differences between long-standing public companies and recent IPOs
Investor-targeting strategies may differ between a company that has been listed for several years and one that has recently gone public. The key differences are in the investor base, market perception and growth stage of the company. Let us examine these distinctions. Investor base A company that has been listed on the stock exchange for several years usually has an established investor base.
Case studies in investor relations
The Investor Perception Study – US 2023 looks at the current leading companies and individuals for IR in the US as voted for by...
Pioneer women of IR: Deborah Kelly of Genesis
In 2001, Deb Kelly received the second ever lifetime achievement award from IR Magazine –hot on the heels of Lou Thompson – something she cites as one of the highlights of a long career. Now 22 years later, in the run-up to the IR Magazine Forum – Women in IR on April 27, Kelly, a partner at Denver, Colorado-based strategic communications firm Genesis, reflects on what IR was like in the 1970s, why mentoring is so important and the enduring skills all successful IROs need.
Agnico Eagle Mines, TransAlta Corporation and WSP Global triumph at IR Magazine Awards - Canada 2023
Winners revealed as prestigious awards ceremony returns to Toronto Agnico Eagle Mines, TransAlta Corporation and WSP Global were among the investor relations champions celebrated at the glittering IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2023 last night.
Pioneer women of IR: Lynn Morgen of Advisiry Partners
As one half of Morgen-Walke Associates, Lynn Morgen created what was the largest independent IR firm in the US when it sold to private equity in 2000. In the run-up to the IR Magazine Forum – Women in IR on April 27, she tells us about the appeal of consultancy life and why keeping up with the profession is a challenge she loves.
Hilton, Medtronic and Starbucks among winners at IR Magazine Awards - US 2023
Excellence in IR celebrated at black-tie event in downtown New York Hilton, Medtronic and Starbucks were among the corporate titans celebrated for their excellence in investor relations at the prestigious IR Magazine Awards – US 2023 last night.
Cenovus Energy, Loblaw Companies and Air Canada short-listed for IR Magazine Awards - Canada 2023
Will Canadian Pacific Railway return to sweep the board? Past masters are competing for gold against impressive newcomers in the short lists for the upcoming IR Magazine Awards – Canada 2023. The field is wide open and anything could happen when a year of excellence in IR is celebrated in Toronto on April 5. ARC Resources, Cenovus Energy and Scotiabank are among the heavyweights short-listed for the best ESG reporting (large cap) award.
Changing generational attitudes and DE&I discussed at event
Customer and investor preferences are changing, with new generations more willing to waive financial merit for ESG – institutions need to be aware of this. So said IROs in one of several roundtable discussions held during the ESG Integration Forum – Europe 2023, hosted by IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary, in London this week. Upcoming generations of investors are uncomfortable investing in the likes of Big Oil so the corporate ESG story has to be especially strong to win them over.
James Beech
James Beech joined IR Media Group as Editor in Chief of IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary in January 2022. He was a multimedia journalist, editor, client relationship manager, awards host and public speaker at Campden Wealth, for and about the global ultra-wealthy multigenerational family business and office community, in 2016-21.
American Airlines, Ford Motor Company and T-Mobile among IR titans nominated for IR Magazine Awards - US 2023
Field wide open at upcoming glittering awards ceremony in New York The countdown has started for the IR Magazine Awards – US 2023 on March 30, with the best and brightest in investor relations now announced. The nominees include such household names as American Airlines for best use of technology & social media for IR, Ford Motor Company for best IR website and T-Mobile US for best ESG reporting (large cap) and best IR in the communications sector.
The Ticker Podcast
In the latest episode of The Ticker podcast, the IR Magazine team gathers to discuss what to expect at the IR Magazine ESG Integration Forum – Europe, which takes place in London on March 2. In a roundtable discussion, IR Magazine reporter Noemi Distefano, senior reporter Tim Human and senior conference producer Laurence Taylor look at the overarching themes for IR Magazine’s first event of the year and the latest ESG regulatory changes that will be top of mind for investors in 2023.
IR around the Gulf: Is the Middle East emerging from emerging?
The combined market capitalization of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is $4 tn. And with their earnings commanding investor attention amid a global maelstrom, companies in the Middle East are increasingly being compared with those in more developed markets.
Taking a strategic approach to investor targeting: ‘Understand what they care about’
Getting started means taking stock of your existing shareholder base When he thinks about targeting, the first area of focus for Chip Newcom, director of IR at award-winning global data center provider Equinix, is regular communication with the top 25-40 shareholders. ‘The best way to continue to drive value for them is to understand what they care about,’ Newcom says.
The week in investor relations: ESG investments in demand, Elon Musk’s costly Twitter woes and Bank of England ends its bid to stabilize market
– Demand for ESG investments has outstripped supply, reported the Financial Times (paywall) quoting a PwC study, in contrast to reports of a growing backlash against investing according to ESG principles.The study found nearly nine in 10 institutional investors believed asset managers should be more proactive in developing new ESG products but less than half of asset managers (45 percent) were planning to launch new ESG funds. Enthusiasm for ESG, PwC found, is high in every region of the world.
Activism, ESG, corporate culture: Top takeaways from IR Magazine’s summer events
The IR Magazine Think Tank – East Coast was held in New York on May 18. The event opened with a discussion on macroeconomic conditions, from record levels of inflation to the war in Ukraine and slowing global growth. Amid tightening fiscal conditions, cash is more valuable than ever, the audience heard. Every dollar of cash a company is producing today is worth more, while every dollar of forecast growth is worth less. The next session focused on shareholder activism.
The week in investor relations: Roller-coaster US market volatility, activist Engine No 1 thinks long-term and regulators face ESG backlash
– Investors are tightening their neck braces as US stocks soar upwards, plummet back down and then do it all over, CNN reported. Stock market volatility is at its bumpiest level since July. The whiplash-inducing ride comes as conflicting data paints a cloudy picture about the state of the US economy. Investors have been reading economic reports as tea leaves, searching for signs the Federal Reserve could soon pivot to a slower pace of rate hikes to fight inflation, and reacting accordingly.
The week in investor relations: Rollercoaster US market volatility, activist Engine No 1 thinks long-term and regulators face ESG backlash
– Investors are tightening their neck braces as US stocks soar upwards, plummet back down and then do it all over, CNN reports. Stock market volatility is at its bumpiest level since July. The whiplash-inducing ride comes as conflicting data paints a cloudy picture about the state of the US economy. Investors have been reading economic reports as tea leaves, searching for signs that the Federal Reserve could soon pivot to a slower pace of rate hikes to fight inflation, and reacting accordingly.
Governance easiest ESG pillar to report on, say UK small and mid-caps
More than three quarters (77 percent) of UK small and mid-cap companies surveyed for the latest ESG research from the Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) say the governance pillar of ESG is the easiest to address and disclose on. Interestingly, more than half (53 percent) say the environmental factor is the hardest ESG pillar to address and make disclosures on.
The road to consolidation: Talking with the ISSB’s Sue Lloyd
The creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in November last year marked a major step toward consolidation in the sustainability reporting world. The new organization brings together the Value Reporting Foundation, which houses the SASB Standards and Integrated Reporting Framework, and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board, leading to a notable narrowing of the alphabet soup of reporting bodies.
‘Preparation can deter an activist’s involvement’: FTI Consulting talks activism prep
With news that the aviation and airlines industry has jumped to the top of the list as the industry most vulnerable to activism in Q2 2022, Garnet Roach speaks to David Farkas, managing director in the activism and M&A solutions practice at FTI Consulting, to find out how companies should prepare against a potential activist campaign. What elements should make up the basics of any activism preparedness plan?
Matt Brusch: The view from the top of NIRI
During the NIRI 2022 annual conference in Boston, Matt Brusch, the newly appointed president and CEO, with board chair Victoria Sivrais, discussed post-pandemic IR initiatives and surprising proxy season trends with IR Magazine What are your aspirations as the new NIRI president and CEO? Matt Brusch: I’ve been associated with NIRI for many years at this point and it’s incredibly important to me: a critically important community.
Six-month review: Emily Holden of Oxford Biomedica
In a busy year to date and among five active proprietary programs and 19 partner programs, the UK-based company Oxford Biomedica announced in July this year a new three-year agreement with AstraZeneca for future manufacturing of its Covid-19 vaccine, expanding on the two companies’ deal in 2020.
IR crisis management: What happened at Shell when Russia invaded Ukraine?
The IR Magazine Awards nomination process encourages sharing of best practices, including those around crisis management. For Shell, the invasion of Ukraine constitutes such a crisis event, requiring swift and decisive action impacting many different stakeholders, including our investors. First and foremost, the appalling war in Ukraine is a humanitarian disaster that has disrupted and destroyed many lives. It is immensely tough for our Shell colleagues in Ukraine and the region.
Events preview: Data-driven discussions, IR in a global recession, ESG demands and more
IR Magazine has scrutinized the feedback and crunched the numbers after a successful return to in-person events in the first half of 2022 to formulate its agenda for the second half of the year. Primary original research, surveys and constant first-hand interactions with more than 1,500 IROs who attended the publication’s events around the world have shaped the upcoming slate of webinars and in-person forums and think tanks.
TCFD reporting drives ESG integration in annual reports
The introduction of mandatory TCFD reporting is helping to boost awareness of climate-related risk and making ESG the thread that runs through annual reports. This is among the findings in an analysis of reporting from major institutional investors by strategic communications firm Luminous.
Asset managers must invest in IR as due diligence requests rocket at large caps
ESG data collection is clear priority, finds DiligenceVault Asset managers with growth ambitions need to invest in their investor relations function, according to a new white paper exploring asset manager views on the due diligence process. Only 5 percent of managers with assets under management between $1 bn and $10 bn receive between 100 and 500 requests per year, according to DiligenceVault, a digital diligence platform for the asset management industry.
Sustainability and diversity shortfalls in institutional investor reporting, reveals new research
Most of the reporting from major institutional investors analyzed by strategic communications firm Luminous ‘still has room for improvement’ in sustainability, ethnic & gender diversity and addressing climate-change impacts. But these investors have made positive efforts in developing their workforce, mitigating their impacts on nature and increasing the representation of women in the boardroom.
Real estate and energy sectors branded ‘ESG laggards’ but outperform peers, notes Federated Hermes
Environmental factors have become a statistically meaningful driver of shareholder returns over the past two years, according to controversial ESG investing champion Federated Hermes. Avoiding the ‘ESG laggards’ and those whose standards are slipping is a crucial way to capture the ESG premium, the US firm’s global equities team has found.
As IR are you currently
Being asked to return to the office
What we learned at the IR Magazine Think Tank - Europe
For companies with projects in Russia, the war in Ukraine has been front of mind for their investors, senior IR officers heard at the IR Magazine Think Tank – Europe. Some companies found their exposure was decreasing before the invasion.
NIRI 2022: Buy side concerns on global ESG values, value creation and ratings
With different standards around the world and the SEC, ISSB and EU proposing different frameworks, inconsistency around ESG terminology and methodology is a ‘major concern’ among global financial institutions working across jurisdictions, IROs heard during the NIRI 2022 conference.
What Clermont Partners’ acquisition by Riveron means for ESG and IR
The founders of Clermont Partners say they believe IR and ESG will ‘come together’ as they lead a newly created ESG and strategic communications practice at Riveron. Clermont, a female-owned consultancy specializing in ESG communications and strategy, IR and transaction communications, announced last week it had been acquired on undisclosed terms by Riveron, a national US business advisory firm.
IR professionals to share advice at ESG forum next week
Winners of inaugural ESG Integration Awards also to be announced at July 14 event in New York Leading investor relations and governance professionals will gather in New York next week to share their expertise and practical guidance on how colleagues can address some of the most pressing ESG issues facing US companies.
IR Magazine Think Tank - Europe: How to engage with shareholders during inflation and supply-chain disruption
IR professionals should stay close to their management teams and what is happening on the ‘shop floor’ to quickly respond to questions from investors and analysts. ‘Be loud, clear and constant in messaging’ is the advice attendees heard at the latest IR Magazine Think Tank – Europe. IROs should also consider how to do things differently to enhance understanding in the market and challenge the norms. Anticipate messaging and have a Plan B for worst-case scenarios.
How to prepare for engagement with activist investors
Make sure you have a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ plan to actively talk to your shareholders when – not if – activist investors buy into your company’s stock. Maintain a cohesive sense of all your company’s interactions with investors and be vigilant in your monitoring. These were all tips given by a panel of experts in the latest IR Magazine Webinar, now available to watch on demand.
Environment Agency chair warns greenwashing companies pose risk to investors
Emma Howard Boyd says greenwashing ‘deception’ allows ‘false confidence’ in addressing the climate crisis Companies that believe their own greenwash are embedding liability, storing up risk for their investors. That’s according to Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the UK’s Environment Agency and interim chair of the independent, commercially minded Green Finance Institute, speaking at the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment Annual Forum at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London today.
IR Magazine Think Tank - Europe: How to communicate the ‘S’ in ESG to your investors
Covid-19 has raised the bar on the importance among investors of the social or S factor in ESG, almost to the same level as environmental factors, IROs were warned at the latest IR Magazine Think Tank – Europe. Corporate culture has been of growing interest to investors over the past five years, but how best to communicate that culture to investors?
The chair of NIRI says she has not seen activists leverage ESG as often as traditional shareholder proposals in the 2022 proxy season so far and the ESG proposals that are tabled are rarely passed. IR Magazine caught up with Victoria Sivrais, chair of the US association of IROs and a partner at the strategic communications firm Clermont Partners, during the NIRI 2022 Annual Conference this month.
CIRI elects Adam Borgatti of Aecon as new board chair
Canada’s IR association unveils new members of national board The IR community in North America welcomes another change at the top this month with the appointment of Adam Borgatti as the new chair of CIRI’s national board of directors. Borgatti is the senior vice president of corporate development and IR at the infrastructure company Aecon Group. He was appointed chair for a two-year term at the annual meeting of the Canadian IR association last week.
NIRI 2022: Executive compensation, earnings best practices, corporate access and IR salary & career research findings revealed
IR Magazine shares exclusive takeaways with IR professionals at its NIRI Express Talk It was standing room only when IR Magazine revealed the big North American takeaways from its latest research reports at the NIRI 2022 Annual Conference.
NIRI 2022: Personal stories help corporate America’s leaders take social stands
Companies that show the ‘courage of their convictions’ in times of societal change prompt investors to ask what other qualities those companies have, says Helena Foulkes, former CVS executive and Democratic governor candidate for Rhode Island. Foulkes joined Jeffrey Solomon, chairman and chief executive at investment bank Cowen, and Yale’s Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld in a panel discussion at the NIRI 2022 Annual Conference last week.
Proxy voters ignore environmental and social issues, finds ESG research by Planet Tracker
Critical ESG issues, including plastic pollution and declining biodiversity, are failing to make the agendas of shareholder meetings despite rocketing numbers of ESG proposals over the past decade, according to a nonprofit financial think tank. ESG practices, metrics and regulations have been a strong theme during the US proxy voting season. The number of ESG proposals tabled for discussion at annual meetings has shot up 80 percent, finds research by Planet Tracker.
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