CEO Update - August 2026
Hello Everyone,
Many of our members, stakeholders, and colleagues taking well deserved summer holidays in August, my diary has been a little quieter than usual – which provides a useful opportunity to look ahead to the rest of 2026. With that in mind, this update isn’t so much about what happened in the last month. Instead, I want to pick out a few highlights from the months ahead.
Over the summer, we’ve been working on the 2026 Member Survey. We’ve refined it significantly to make sure it’s shorter, sharper, and asks you the right questions to provide meaningful insight on where IR is in 2026. We’ll be launching the survey in mid-September, and I really encourage you to complete it. The information and data you give to us will allow us to provide you with insights and understanding on where IR is in 2026. More than that, it helps the Society help understand how we can better support you in facing the challenges and realising the opportunities.
At the end of the month, I will join the Middle East Investor Relations Association Conference in Dubai. I look forward to connecting with my colleagues and counterparts from the Middle East and further afield. I’m looking forward to hearing how IROs across the region have dealt with the challenges of an unprecedented year.
Our calendar is packed full of excellent events in September and October, with several seminars, roundtables, breakfasts, and even a pub quiz to choose from. I hope to see you at an event soon.
That momentum builds up to November, where we are looking forward to one of the biggest events in the IR calendar, our Best Practice Awards. It’s a fantastic occasion where the industry gets together to celebrate achievement and excellence. The team here have recently come back from menu tasting, and I’m reliably informed we have a great selection of food and drink to go with the awards and entertainment. You can book your tickets on the awards website now.
Elsewhere, we’ll be launching our redesigned and reviewed CIR qualification and study guide. We all know how fast changing IR can be, so it’s important we regularly update the qualification to ensure it is up-to-date, relevant, and providing candidates with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. This review has put a focus on learner experience, ensuring we have more case studies and exercises to help candidates apply theory and best practices into practical situations.
And, if you’re looking to develop the skills and knowledge of you and your team, there are no less than 17 training courses scheduled in the rest of 2026, covering everything from the fundamentals of IR, through to financial modelling, regulation and compliance, and annual reporting.
That’s it from me. Have a great September!