Launch of IR Society Best Practice Awards - Influencing improvements in investor relations practice

Sallie Pilot, Chair of the IR Society Best Practice Committee shares her thoughts on best practice and why you should enter this year’s awards.

It’s a great honour to be the Chair of the Best Practice Committee at the Investor Relations Society and I’m pleased to announce that the 2019 Best Practice Awards are open for entries. The promotion of best practice in IR is one of the cornerstones of the IR Society's existence, and the annual Best Practice Awards, now in their 19th year, play a crucial part in this. The Awards recognise those companies that have demonstrated their strong understanding of, and proactive efforts to promote clear and consistent investor communications.  The IR Society’s Best Practice Committee, comprising a broad cross-section of companies and industry players, has again refined requirements and criteria to ensure they continue to reflect changes in the operating and regulatory environment and judges are drawn from the investor relations profession and the investment community. A new self-entry award ‘Best IR relating to a corporate transaction’ has also been added in 2019.

Awards opportunities

Self-entry Awards' categories include separate awards open to FTSE 100, FTSE 250, Small Cap & AIM, and international companies, recognising the diverse range of companies looking to the UK for excellence in IR. Categories include:

  • Most effective overall communication of investment proposition
  • Best Communication of ESG
  • Most effective use of digital communications
  • (NEW this year!) Best IR on corporate transaction
  • Best Annual Report

 Voted Awards’ categories, comprise:

  • Best Investor Engagement (investor) - will be decided by company IROs for an investor/buy-side firm that the investment community believes represents the best in investor engagement with companies
  • Best newcomer to IR (individual)
  • Best IRO (individual)
  • Best overall company IR (company)

So, why not enter?

The business environment is challenging, recognition is scarce, time is short and it’s an opportunity to demonstrate what a major difference each one of us can make to the companies we represent. 

  • Evidence excellence – to win or to be shortlisted, shows that you have reached the very highest standard, as judged by leading experts
  • Raise your profile – with your peers, internal and external stakeholders, strengthening your corporate reputation  
  • Make your company proud - it’s a great recognition for all of the hard work, commitment and dedication that goes in every day 
  • Reflect on your work – the process of entering the awards often helps one to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your organisation’s communications strategies and provides a springboard of ideas on what to focus on for the future
  • Incentive to improve - the competitive nature of the Awards provides an opportunity to challenge the internal ‘status quo’

We are looking forward to this year’s awards and I strongly encourage companies to enter, seek recognition for their performance and support the best practice standard in the UK and abroad. Good luck! Entries are now open until 30th June.

Click here for more details.

Published 21 March, 2019