CEO Update - January 2026

It’s been a tremendously busy January here at the Society. 

We kicked off the month with the publication of the latest copy of Informed, our member magazine. The latest issue includes a 2026 policy outlook, insight on topics including capital markets days and AI, and a comprehensive round up of our 2025 best practice awards winners.  

We also held a celebratory breakfast for our mentoring programme, reflecting on the success of the 2025 group and looking ahead to 2026. My thanks to Anna Hartropp who supports this fantastic initiative. Mentoring provides huge value to both mentors and mentees, and I hope to see this programme expand and develop in the years ahead. 

I was privileged to attend the market open ceremony at London Stock Exchange as they celebrated the launch of access bonds. These bonds were introduced under the new UK Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations, something the Society has been closely engaged with in recent years. Having only joined recently, I can’t take any of the credit, but it was great to see the hard work of colleagues and stakeholders come to fruition.  

Later that same week, we hosted our latest IRO Breakfast. These hugely popular events provide our members with the opportunity to get together in an intimate and informal environment to discuss the key challenges and opportunities impacting their roles. Alongside the pastries, corporate access, measuring engagement, and AI were all on the menu! 

We also kicked off DELIVER, which is our executive education programme for senior IROs. We’re working with Berenberg this year, and it was great to join the morning session and listen into some fascinating conversations. Members of the programme have gone on to hold some of the most prestigious roles in the sector, as well as becoming Board members and Chairs of the Society – so it really is a fantastic platform for future success. 

In amongst that, we also found time to launch our new website. This is a really exciting moment for the Society, as it provides us with the opportunity to engage with members and stakeholders even more effectively, from self-service elements, through to surfacing dynamic, relevant, and targeted content that will help busy IROs access the insight and best practice they need. 

That’s it from me – see you in February!