Ben Ashwell, editor, IR Magazine
Ben Ashwell is the editor at IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary, covering investor relations, governance, risk and compliance. Prior to this, he was the founder and editor of Executive Talent, the global quarterly magazine from the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants. Before moving to the US, Ben was the vice president and editor at Executive Grapevine, overseeing a daily news website, ten annual supplements and HR Grapevine, the UK’s leading HR and talent management magazine. In his spare time, Ben writes fiction, poetry and arts and culture reviews. Eyewear Publishing recently named him in their list of the Best New British and Irish Poets.
Donald Cassidy, executive vice president of business development and corporate strategy, Georgeson
Don Cassidy joined Georgeson in 2016 as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Strategy.
Prior to joining Georgeson, Don spent 21 years with Fidelity and brings significant global experience in legal, compliance, and corporate governance matters. Early in his career, Don served as Director of Investment Proxy Research for Fidelity in Boston, leading corporate governance policy and the voting process for the company’s US-based funds and institutional client portfolios. Don subsequently spent twelve years in the United Kingdom with Fidelity International (FIL), first as Director of the Global Institutional Business group and then as Director of FIL’s Corporate Governance Research group. Most recently, Don was Head of the Legal Department for FIL Limited in Bermuda.
Don received his J.D. in 1994 from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was a member of the Minnesota Law Review; he has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 1994. Don received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Nick Johnson, investor relations, The Coca-Cola Company
Nick is a Certified Public Accountant and a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia where he earned his Bachelor’s in Accounting in ’08 and Masters in Accountancy in ‘09.
After two years in Public Accounting, he joined The Coca-Cola Company in 2012 within their corporate audit department before moving abroad in 2014 where he performed various financial and audit engagements across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In 2016, he joined Coca-Cola Investor Relations where his key responsibilities include managing the financial and strategic messaging through writing the quarterly earnings release and script, developing management presentations in addition to meeting with investors on roadshows and at conferences.
Matt Sonefeldt, head of investor relations, Atlassian
Matt is an experienced finance leader focused on driving purpose-driven companies to create positive business and social impact. He currently serves as the VP of Investor Relations at Atlassian, a Fortune 100 Best Place to Work. His career has spanned operating and investment leadership across best-in-class businesses including LinkedIn, Gusto, Ethic, and Capital Research. He is also the co-founder of GenPurpose, an early-stage investment firm focused on purpose-oriented startups. Matt’s most important focus is his family - his partner Brie, and their three boys. You’ll often find Matt coaching soccer and basketball, cooking meals for family and friends on weekends, or escaping for trail runs in the wilds of SF and Marin. He also loves a good book or a conversation over coffee.
