US Awards: Investors and analysts explain their picks

The IR Magazine Awards – US 2017 were decided by your most important external constituents: investors and analysts.

This year, around 400 members of the investment community took part in our awards research through either an electronic survey or telephone interviews. And while the respondents were letting us know which companies and individuals should win, they also told us why.

These comments are collected from and included in the IR Magazine Investor Perception Study – US 2017, providing a flavor of why the investors and analysts voted the way they did. Below, you’ll find some selected comments about winners across two categories: best overall investor relations and best investor relations officer. 

Best overall investor relations (large cap)
Winner: Sherwin-Williams
‘The head of IR at Sherwin-Williams, Bob Wells, is consistent in getting back to you in a timely manner and the team always returns your calls, no matter what the time is’ – sell side 

Best overall investor relations (mid-cap)
Winner: Jack in the Box
‘Jack in the Box communicates its message well to the Street, holds good analyst days and is always available. I have a good relationship with the IR director’ – buy side

Best overall investor relations (small cap)
Winner: Covanta
‘Covanta produces a well laid-out and organized presentation with its earnings release. And the investor relations team is reachable and thoughtful, helping us to understand the company by organizing site visits’ – sell side

Best investor relations officer (large cap)
Winner: Jack Carsky & Victoria Hyde-Dunn, Visa
‘Jack Carsky, IRO at Visa, is awesome.
 He is personable and pleasant with a great sense of humor. In terms of the job, he reacts fast and doesn’t just give me an answer but the answer!’ – sell side

Best investor relations officer (small & mid-cap)
Winner: Carol DiRaimo, Jack in the Box (joint winner)
‘IRO Carol DiRaimo knows the business backwards and forwards. She is as good as any CFO and is among the strongest IR people I’ve ever encountered’ – sell side 

Winner: Julie Tracy, Wright Medical Group (joint winner)
‘The IR guys at Wright Medical Group make my life easier. Not only do they provide a written commentary at earnings calls but they also send an email with the transcript, which is useful during a conference call. The IR is planned to the last detail and runs as smoothly as a Swiss train’ – buy side