Joining this episode is Gervais Williams, Head of Equities at Premier Miton Group, and fund manager for several small to mid-cap funds based in the UK. Gervais takes us through his career history, his views on UK equities today, and why he’s optimistic about the future.  

We hear his thoughts on why IR teams are likely to become more important than ever, what makes a perfect meeting, how he researches new companies before investing, and his predictions for the next 12 months. 

Gabriel started his career with Aberdeen back in 2008 as a research analyst and portfolio manager on a range of Emerging Markets equity funds, including a Frontier Markets strategy. Today, his primary responsibility is as lead manager on the Aberdeen Asia Focus investment trust, which aims to give investors exposure to a portfolio of high-quality smaller companies across Asia that are otherwise very difficult to access.   

We talk about the differences between many of the countries that Gabriel works with and the four primary variations that anyone working across Asian markets needs to know. Gabriel talks about how the markets are looking in today’s turbulent geopolitical climate, and why he’s optimistic about growth. We hear his advice on how to communicate with company boards and investors, why face-to-face meetings are still the best meeting option, and how he’s using AI as a productivity tool.

Is debt IR really that different from working in equity IR? While there are some key differences that make up a debt IROs typical role, there are more similarities than you might expect. 

In this episode, we welcomed Angela Catlin, previously the Head of Investor Relations, Corporate Affairs and Brand at The Co-operative Bank and currently Chair of the Debt IR Steering Group of the Investor Relations Society. Joining her is Equitory’s Matt Lee, our Director of Investor Relations, to give his perspective on debt IR. Both have experience on both the equity and debt IR sides and share their thoughts on the key differences, how to manage relationships with rating agencies, and why an always-on approach is the best IR strategy. 

Can you really build meaningful investor relationships through a screen? Zoom and Teams calls have been an invaluable tool in the past few years, but is there an overreliance on remote communication in IR today? Paul Measday, Head of Investor Relations, Ashmore Group plc, joins the podcast to talk about his career and thoughts on IR as a whole.  

Paul shares his perspective on IR as a team of one in his role at Ashmore Group. Previously working as an equity analyst with Cazenove/JP Morgan Cazenove, he qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young and has an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from Exeter University and the University of Liège. With experience across multiple areas of finance and capital markets, he brings knowledge and experience of equity research, covering banks through multiple market cycles.  

We hear his thoughts on the practical challenges of managing roadshows and proxy voting, and why he believes traditional relationship-building is critical, especially when building new relationships with investors. He discusses Ashmore Group’s strategic approach to investor targeting, their approach to conferences, analyst relations, and the importance of understanding your company’s investment story.  

Every IR wants to hear good feedback from investors. But it’s the negative feedback that has the most value. Dan Homan, Investor Relations Director at Currys, joined Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast to explain why honesty and genuine two-way conversations between IR and investors are a must to achieve continuous improvement.   

Prior to joining Currys, Dan was a Director at Citi Investment Research where he was a lead analyst on top ranked teams covering the European Retail sector. Alongside Investor Relations, Dan has responsibility for UK strategy, property and the Group’s defined benefit pension scheme. 

He sheds light on Currys’ approach to investor relations, shareholder engagement, and hosting capital market events. We hear about the challenges that his team and Currys has faced over the past few years, including a takeover bid from Elliot Advisors and company restructures. Coming from the sell-side and now working alongside other departments such as property, Dan brings a lot of additional insight into different areas of the business that he says make him better at IR.

When done right, the collaboration between analysts and investor relations professionals can transform how a company’s story is told, understood, and valued by investors. In this episode, we speak with Ciarán Donnelly, Technology & Media Equity Research Analyst at Berenberg to hear insights of the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector. Ciarán shares stories from his decade-long career in investment banking. You’ll hear what a typical day looks like for him, from dissecting results day announcements to communicating with IR to running global roadshows.  

We hear what Ciarán would most like to see from IROs when it comes to assessing his modelling approach and why he thinks that IR should be involved far earlier in the process when it comes to an IPO.

As the Chief Investment Officer of Multi-Asset at Newton Investment Management Group, Mitesh has oversight of Newton’s multi-asset and fixed-income teams based in London, as well as Newton’s quantitative multi-asset solutions team in San Francisco.​  

Mitesh shares his perspective on what he describes as the new macro regime and explains that while volatility has brought big changes to markets, change has always been inevitable. His warning for anyone in investment management is to not become complacent with what the “norm” is, because it’s changing all the time.  

Are we overlooking the UK equity market? It hasn’t incited the same level of excitement as the growth in the US market, but that doesn’t mean investors should disregard it. As Wes McCoy explains in this episode, even long market cycles come to an end, so are you prepared for what’s next? 

Wes is the Senior Investment Director at abrdn and has over 20 years’ experience in various roles within UK equity. He sits down with us to talk about why he thinks the UK market is overlooked but also why this could pose a great opportunity for investors planning for the long term.  We hear a bit of Wes’ backstory as he takes us through the highlights of his career journey to where he is today and how he came to build his fund that oversees 35 stocks. Wes explains the realities of market cycles and tells us the best and worst investments he’s made over the years; plus the biggest lessons each experience taught him.  

What can we expect in 2025 when it comes to the UK equity market? While there have been challenges and volatility over the past few years, 2025 seems to be a promising start for companies, investors and IR professionals alike. 

Joining this episode is James Lowen, a Senior Fund Manager with 30 years’ industry experience at J O Hambro Capital Management, where he co-manages the J O Hambro Capital Management UK Equity Income Fund. James offers a broad perspective on the UK equity market in its current state and shares four key reasons why we should be optimistic this year. We discuss the various geopolitical issues impacting the market and his advice for IR professionals and companies trying to navigate the changes.

UK fund managers have been kept very busy over the past few years. Economic turbulence, sweeping political shifts, and the financial impacts of a pandemic have all contributed to the uncertainty around UK equities, affecting UK fund growth and company performance.  

In this episode, we hear the fund manager’s perspective from Siddarth Chand Lall the Lead Fund Manager of the Marlborough Multi Cap Income Fund at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management.  We explore the ways companies can improve their communication approach with investors and what needs to change to attract investment back to UK equities. Siddarth shares his perspective on the most influential changes in the market and his advice for investors, IR professionals and fund managers for this year.   

As a business model unique to the UK, we dive into what it’s like managing investor relations for a royalty-based company that invests in the mining industry in this episode. Geoff Callow, Head of Investor Relations at Ecora Resources, joins the podcast to share his insights into his role.  

Geoff gives us the background on his 20-year career, from accountancy to financial PR and eventually to IR. He highlights the top learnings from his previous roles and discusses the importance of having both financial skills and strong communication abilities. 

Is financial acumen or simply good communication the most important ingredient to succeeding in investor relations? Communication and the ability to build rapport with investors is often highlighted as the one thing that sets great IR professionals apart. But in this episode, Karen Keyes, Head of IR at Canadian Tire Corporation, explains why financial knowledge is crucial when communicating well with investors.  

Karen joins the podcast to discuss her 20+ years of experience in IR across different industries and countries. We hear about the challenges of managing major corporate events such as acquisitions and shareholder activism, economic downturns, and adjusting to different IR practices in the UK and Canada.  

Investor relations in the digital age has seen big changes in the way we communicate with investors and shareholders, thanks to the evolution of technology. In this episode, we dive into how Workspace Group’s IR department has embraced the changes that new technology can offer with Paul Hewlett, Director of Strategy & Corporate Development. 

With over two decades of experience in corporate finance and broking and a 14-year stint at J.P. Morgan, Paul has a strong track record of building great client relationships and managing complex investor transactions. He now focuses on accelerating growth and enhancing shareholder value at Workspace Group and joins the podcast to give us a behind-the-scenes look at IR in his team.  

How does a global consumer brand like Etsy manage investor relations? And what does it take to lead IR successfully? In this episode of Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast, we sit down with Deb Wasser, VP of Investor Relations and ESG Engagement at Etsy, to uncover the secrets of a successful IR career. 

Throughout Deb’s journey in investor relations, she has taken on roles both on the consultancy side and in-house, switching between the two and picking up expertise and insights from both sides. She shares her unique experiences in this episode, and we hear her perspective on the most important traits to have in modern IR. As a former NIRI board member, we also learn about her work in the wider investor relations community. 

As the conversation delves into Deb’s experiences at Etsy, we hear about Etsy’s innovative approach to IR and how it adapted to the challenges of a post-pandemic market. To learn more about how investor relations works at Etsy,  tune in to the full podcast. 

Many IR professionals start their careers in different roles within corporate finance, whether it’s within consultancy, data analysis, or capital markets. But each of those paths into IR comes with valuable insights and unique perspectives that can set you up for success. 

Before Edward Westropp, Head of IR and Communications at WE Soda Ltd, took the leap into an IR career, he came with bags of experience in strategy and communications. As he grew in his career, he found himself moving from a consultancy firm to an in-house position – something he was hesitant to do. However, since then, he’s found his in-house roles rewarding, challenging, and full of valuable lessons. He joined Enquire, the Investor Relations Podcast, to share his story. 

We hear Edward’s career backstory including his time navigating consultancy roles, communicating with board members, managing strategy around IPOs, and the inner workings of corporate finance. Edward shares his tips for entry-level IR professionals on the importance of networking, as well as his strategies for managing relationships with key investors during tricky market and business structure changes. 

We sat down with Phil Griffith, Head of UK Distribution at Stifel Financial Corp. With over 36 years of experience in equity sales, Phil provides an insightful look into the daily routines, challenges, and the evolving world of sell-side equity sales.  

Phil has worked in the equity capital markets at UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Exane BNP Paribas. He has managed numerous high-performing equity sales teams and built great client relationships across the UK and beyond, covering Asset & Wealth Managers and Hedge Funds. He has been heavily involved in the Client Strategy role handling resource allocation, relationship discussions, and commercial research agreements post MiFID. 

From early morning research digests to corporate meetings and client interactions, Phil paints a picture of the fast-paced world of equity sales and shares insights on effective communication between sales, analysts, and clients. We hear about his experience of working with clients after the MiFID 2 regulations were announced, and why this has posed challenges. Throughout the conversation, Phil highlights how important great communication is and why salespeople and analysts who combine natural curiosity with great storytelling often stand out in client relations. 

We sit down with Maria Elena Drew, Director of Research for Responsible Investing at T. Rowe Price, to learn more about how IR teams can approach ESG. Maria shares her fascinating journey from equity investor to ESG specialist, recounting her experiences with high-profile cases like Enron and Yukos. She offers a unique perspective on how these experiences shaped her approach to incorporating ESG factors into investment decisions. Maria takes us through T. Rowe Price’s proprietary ESG rating system, known as the Responsible Investing Indicator Model (RIIM). She explains how this system covers over 15,000 corporate issuers and combines data from various sources with their own fundamental analysis. Maria also discusses the collaborative approach between the responsible investing team and portfolio managers, highlighting how they work together on company engagements and portfolio reviews. 

 The conversation then shifts to the specifics of analysing companies through an ESG lens. Maria breaks down how T. Rowe Price examines environmental and social metrics, considering both a company’s operations and its end products. She emphasises the importance of tailoring the analysis to different industries and geographies, showcasing the nuanced approach required in responsible investing. Throughout the episode, Maria’s insights provide a valuable glimpse into the evolving world of ESG integration in investment decision-making. 

While investor relations may have evolved over the past 30 years, some things remain consistent – the value of building great relationships with investors has always been fundamental to building a successful career in IR. As someone who has led an impressive 30-year career across corporate finance, equity research, and investor relations, Peter Reynolds, Director of IR at Whitbread, joins this episode of Enquire, the Investor Relations Podcast, to share insights and advice picked up from IR roles in multiple industries.  

Peter takes us on a journey through his diverse roles, including his time at Rank Group and PartyGaming, where he built an IR programme from scratch and balanced regulatory affairs with investor communications. He offers his perspective on the evolution of IR over the past two decades, emphasising how the role has become more challenging yet more valued by senior management. Peter shares his approach to staying on top of current information from results days and industry changes and how he uses that knowledge to be proactive in his communications with company boards.  

Have you ever wondered what sets successful investor relations professionals apart? In this episode of Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast, we explore how the power of curiosity and relationship-building have helped Isabel Green, Former EVP & Head of Investor Relations at Rolls-Royce and now IR Director at HBX Group, lead a successful IR career. 

Isabel shares her journey through various roles and sectors, including Rolls Royce, Subsea 7, IHG and UBS, and the important skills and insights she’s picked up along the way. We hear her take on how to enhance your messaging for investors, using a mixture of content resources and effective communication that puts the audience’s needs front and centre.  

Throughout the conversation, Isabel also reflects on her experiences managing investor relations during challenging times, including corporate transformations and market fluctuations.  

In this episode of Enquire, Wayne provides an in-depth look into his two-decade-long career, spanning consumer sectors with a focus on leisure and retail. He shares insights into the recent merger of Panmure Gordon and Liberum, forming the largest independent mid-cap brokerage house and how this consolidation offers new opportunities for diversified coverage and business resilience. 

Wayne also sheds light on the daily pressures of a sell-side analyst, why he’s always at his desk by 7am, and the importance of proactive communication with fund managers and investor relations teams.