IR Magazine is proud to introduce its new editorial board. It is made up of 12 seasoned investor relations professionals from across the world, each working at companies in different sectors and of varying cap sizes, but with one thing in common: a passion for pursuing excellence in the profession.
Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing you to each of our board members, who will be working alongside IR Magazine to advise our editorial team about emerging trends, themes and issues facing the profession around the world. You may also hear from them on the IR Voice podcast or on our videos and you might read their words in our weekly Editor’s Picks newsletter.
This week, we speak to Cole Lannum, acting CFO at MDVISIT and a highly experienced IR professional who has taken home IR Magazine Awards over multiple years. He also joined the 30 IR stars list compiled to celebrate IR Magazine’s 30th anniversary back in 2018.
How would you sum up your approach to IR in three words?
Investors are customers.
Can you tell us about someone who has been influential or inspirational to your career?
Patrick O’Donnell’s impact on my career and life has been profound. When he hired me at Putnam Investments in the mid-1990s, his rare mix of intelligence and genuine care stood out in the investment world.
As director of research, Patrick wasn’t just a boss – he was also a mentor who taught me more than anyone else about investing and the importance of truly caring for our clients. Though I worked under him for less than 18 months, his wisdom has influenced my thinking for more than 30 years. Patrick had an amazing knack for finding talented, creative people from diverse backgrounds, often outside traditional investing, and bringing them together. To this day, the team I worked with then was the most exceptional and interesting group of people I’ve ever interacted with, by far.
Patrick often reminded us that managing other people’s money was an awesome responsibility that required us to see the bigger picture. His unique blend of insight and empathy profoundly shaped my approach to both my professional and my personal life.
What’s the one piece of advice you always share with people joining IR?
Try to minimize the spin and PR nature of the role. People often read right through that and you lose credibility when you head in that direction.
Be straight with people about the positives – and even more so the negatives – of your organization and you will build a greater level of respect from the investment community. Leave PR to the PR people.
Read more Q&As with members of the IR Magazine editorial board here.
Garnet Roach
An award-winning journalist, Garnet Roach joined IR Magazine in October 2012, working on both the editorial and research sides of the publication. Prior to entering the world of investor relations, her freelance career covered a broad range of...
