As the cream of the US IR community finally came together to celebrate the best in investor relations in person, trophies were handed out to one of the most diverse lists of winners in recent years.
Attendees at the black-tie event at Cipriani in New York celebrated 24 different winners across 28 categories, with just four firms claiming multiple wins.
Click here to see the full list of winners at the IR Magazine Awards – US 2022.
Winners of the IR Magazine Awards – US 2022 take to the stage at the Cipriani in New York
American Airlines took home two of the most prestigious awards of the night for best overall investor relations (mid-cap) and best investor relations officer (small to mid-cap) for Christopher Irvine. General Electric was also a best overall IR winner in the large-cap category, and the conglomerate claimed the best in sector award, too, beating off competition from others in the industrials sector.
Another two-gong winner was Danaher, with Matthew Gugino taking the award for best investor relations officer (large cap), as well as winning out in the healthcare sector. The final firm to take two trophies on the night was Hilton Worldwide Holdings, which claimed the best crisis management trophy from the self-nomination awards, as well as best IR in the consumer discretionary sector.
Alto Ingredients took the best overall IR trophy in the small-cap category. In the two best IR by a senior management team categories, Worthing Jackman, CEO, and Mary Anne Whitney, CFO, of Waste Connections took the large-cap trophy, while Tom Reeg, CEO, and Bret Yunker, CFO of Caesars Entertainment won in the small to mid-cap category.
Investment community and the IR Magazine judging panel
The awards are split into two sections. The awards-by-research categories are decided by a survey of portfolio managers, buy-side analysts and sell-side analysts who cover US companies. They select the winners for best overall IR, best IR officer, best IR by a senior management team and best in sector.
The awards-by-nomination categories cover a range of IR practice areas, such as annual reports, ESG reporting, investor meetings, technology and crisis management. Companies are able to submit entries for the different categories, with the winners chosen by a panel of expert judges. This year the panel of judges featured:
- William Galligan, former vice president of investor relations, Kansas City Southern
- Laurie Havelock, editor-at-large, IR Magazine
- Gary LaBranche, president and CEO, NIRI
- Carol Murray-Negron, president, Equanimity
- Maureen Wolff, CEO, Sharon Merrill Associates
There were 10 self-nomination categories this year, with a different company taking a trophy in each, covering everything from crisis management to best investor event and rising star. Two new categories were also introduced for the 2022 awards – best innovation in shareholder communications and best retail IR strategy – both of which give a nod to the ways in which the market and investor relations have shifted as a result of the pandemic.
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...
