AI, ESG, and legislative changes: new challenges for Investor Relations professionals
ARIR (The Romanian Investor Relations Association), the promoter of the Investor Relations (IR) concept, organized the sixth edition of Forum by ARIR. The event, themed "New Horizons in Investor Relations: The European Challenge", brought…
ARIR (The Romanian Investor Relations Association), the promoter of the Investor Relations (IR) concept, organized the sixth edition of Forum by ARIR. The event, themed "New Horizons in Investor Relations: The European Challenge", brought together over 30 relevant speakers from local and international capital markets, alongside approximately 100 participants from the Romanian capital market community.
The Forum's agenda included highly interesting topics related to trends and legislative changes impacting Investor Relations, such as: accession to the OECD, European regulations and their transposition into capital market legislation (Law 24/2017), sustainability reporting, as well as changes in corporate governance, and gender balance in the leadership structures of listed companies.
The field of Investor Relations (IR) is evolving rapidly, and proactivity is becoming essential for success in this profession. Industry specialists shared in a dialogue with Daniela Maior, ARIR President and Partner at VERTIK, the importance of modernizing Investor Relations, with a greater emphasis on the proactivity of IR representatives.
Marius Dan, the representative of Fondul Proprietatea, emphasized that a company's market valuation, the shareholder base, and the number of annual meetings can be used as key indicators of success in IR:
"I believe that a company's valuation is one of the most important indicators of an IR professional's efficiency. If we refer to more easily quantifiable aspects, the number of meetings an IR professional has each year is relevant. We try to have 400-500 meetings per year. Other measurable aspects include the number of teleconferences and roadshows, and the ability of the IR professional to gain access to the most important sectorial, regional, and global conferences."
Marius Cara, former coordinator of IR activities within the European Commission and representative of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group in Romania, highlighted future challenges: artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analysis, as well as integration with ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).
"IR professionals need to learn to use artificial intelligence to manage complex data and analyze investor perceptions and market trends. They also need to understand how the company is evolving in line with market expectations regarding ESG and communicate this information effectively to investors."
