Calling All Members!
 
ISSUE 03, July 2016
 
Co-Presidents'
Message
 

Hello and it is with great enthusiasm that we write this message as the incoming co-presidents for the 2016-2017 program year. We are both very excited to continue the momentum of last year and wish to thank outgoing co-presidents Beth Carty and Rebecca Corbin for leading the chapter's 2015-2016 efforts. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the incoming board. You can read the press release here.
 
As we write this, we are all nicely back to work after the NIRI conference. San Diego was once again a beautiful host city, and the Manchester Grand Hyatt was a great venue. There were many informative sessions, and we hope you enjoyed the conference as much as we did.
 
As usual, NIRI offered many great networking opportunities - this was especially relevant to members of the Virtual chapter as the conference is literally the only opportunity to meet face to face. Many of us also had the opportunity to rub elbows with other Chapter officers at the Volunteer Appreciation Awards dinner held on Saturday evening.
 
On Sunday, we attended a Chapter's officer meeting, which hosted NIRI Chapter officers from all over the country. The goal of the meeting was to tap into their collective knowledge and experience. Specific topics on the roster this year included brainstorming and idea sharing on Chapter member engagement and recruitment as well as preparing Chapter members for the Investor Relations Charter (IRC) exam.
 
The Virtual Chapter held its' first 'official' board meeting later that day to say goodbye to outgoing Chapter officers and welcome new ones. We took the time to review the past year's accomplishments as well as discuss the Chapter's upcoming initiatives. We are still in the early stages of planning, but we have a great year ahead in store! Please check our website periodically for updates: http://www.nirivirtual.org  .
 
On Sunday evening, the Virtual Chapter hosted our annual Lounge Lizard P a rty. The event, which has grown in size (and reputation as an awesome party) proved to once again be the place to be - as we had 100+ people in attendance. We hope you were able to make it out. If you are not currently a Virtual member and would be interested in finding out more, please visit our website:
 
Sponsors
As always, thank you to our 2015-2016 NIRI VC sponsors who were crucial in the success of our Chapter -- we appreciate your commitment!

Gold Level Sponsors : Broadridge, S&P Global Market Intelligence and TalkPoint
Silver Level Sponsors : IPREO and Q4
Bronze Level Sponsors : Business Wire, Corbin Perception, Craib Design & Communications and Pressley Johnson Design
 
Sincerely,
Sheryl Joyce, Perfect Channel LTD, and Tripp Sullivan, SCR Partners LLC
 
 
  Learn More about the benefits of membership in our Member Profile.
Sheryl Joyce
Director of Marketing
Perfect Channel LTD
Tripp Sullivan
President
SCR Partners LLC

Programs 
Update
 


2015-2016 PROGRAM SERIES

NIRI Virtual Chapter is pleased to bring virtual learning opportunities to your desktop.

Each 60-minute webinar the NIRI Virtual Chapter offers focuses on a specific investor relations topic, gives you the opportunity to get your questions answered by industry experts, and is one of the most convenient ways to further professional development for you, your staff and your colleagues. All of our webinars are scheduled from 12 Noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time to allow for maximum attendance. In addition, the Virtual Chapter is certified and CPE credits are offered for attendance.    

The Professional Development Committee is planning another great year of programs. The committee's goal is to provide our members with timely, relevant, easy-to-access and low-cost opportunities to enhance their professional skills.

Last year our programs covered a wide range of topics including:
  • September: "Fed Up? How Looming Rate Hikes May Impact Equity Markets"
  • October: "2016 Proxy Season - Considerations and Tools to Prepare for Tighter Focus on Say on Pay"
  • November: "History in the Making: Investor Relations Charter Certification Process"
  • December: "Using Social Media as an Effective Tool of your IR Program"
  • January: "Activism - Anticipating, Preparing and Responding"
  • February: "Surveillance - the Evolving Landscape"
  • March: "Cyber Security - Crisis Communication Response"
  • April: "IR Awards - Attributes of Award-Winning IR Programs"
  • May: "Managing Your Career in Investor Relations"
If you missed any of the programs you can review the content from a past session by visiting http://nirivirtual.org/ . For your convenience, the webinars are recorded and available for replay.

In addition to the monthly programs, the Chair of the Professional Development Committee, Ron Parham, hosted several cafe chats. The chats were focused on NIRI National's ongoing advocacy efforts. NIRI supports a variety of financial regulatory reform issues. Valerie Haertel, Head of Global Investor Relations at BNY Mellon and 2015-2016 Chair, Advocacy Committee of the NIRI Board of Directors, and Ted Allen, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Practice Resources, NIRI National, provided updates on NIRI and its role as advocate for the IR profession.

Have an idea for a NIRI Virtual webinar? The Programs Committee invites you to send your submissions to
info@nirivirtual.org 
 
Member 
Profile


Getting to Know:
Melody A. Carey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Rx Communications Group, LLC
555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10022

What led you to IR and where has it taken you?
After growing up in rural Missouri and attending college in North Carolina, I decided to move to New York City in search of a career. I landed in the healthcare group at Kidder, Peabody, taking a position as a secretary to gain business exposure. With a constant desire to learn and a lot of hard work, I moved up the ladder, eventually becoming an investment banker. That experience prepared me well for my next step, when I joined a healthcare IR agency, my first direct exposure to this exciting field. I was subsequently approached (and accepted) to take the helm as an in-house IRO for two healthcare firms, both of which were eventually acquired. At that point, I felt confident with the experience I had gained within this sector, and launched my own firm on October 1, 2000, Rx Communications.

What do you especially like about the IR role? What do you find most challenging? Most rewarding?
I consider myself to be a perpetual learner, and as such, I appreciate the fact that the IRO role is constantly changing and evolving. I also enjoy working with the C-suite and developing close relationships with the buy- and sell-side, as well as bankers and venture capitalists, on both a professional and personal level. I also highly enjoy getting to know my fellow IRO peers, including competitors, since there is a certain bond amongst us. Probably the most challenging thing for me is when a client doesn't feel the level of passion that I feel regarding their IR opportunity.

Tell me about your involvement with NIRI generally, and the Virtual Chapter specifically, and what you get out of it.
I have been a NIRI member for a very long time, perhaps 20 years or so. My agency services about 25 clients, which entails a significant amount of travel. Accordingly, I have found it difficult to attend "live" meetings with any regularity. When I learned about the Virtual Chapter, I thought that would be a perfect alternative for me. I can "participate" in chapter "meetings" while I'm on the road, and listen to replays of webinars/webcasts at my convenience. I have been a VC member for about 1.5 years now and serve on the professional development committee. We have been fortunate to attract very high caliber talent to lead our webinars, who also benefit from the ease and convenience of participating "virtually."    

How often have you attended the NIRI Annual Conference? What do you get
out of it?
Due to the demands of running and growing my agency, I hadn't attended the NIRI Annual Conference since I founded my firm over 15 years ago. However, upon attending this year's function in San Diego, I can honestly say that those few days were jam-packed, and extremely useful. The concurrent educational sessions were of superior quality, which actually made it a bit difficult to decide which to attend! Additionally, the vendor showcase was top-notch, allowing participants to meet face-to-face in a casual environment. Finally, interacting with other IROs was invaluable. Realizing what I had been missing these past years, I definitely plan to attend each Annual Conference going forward.

Tell me a fun fact about yourself that not a lot of members know.
While you wouldn't necessarily guess it from my somewhat conservative and straight-laced appearance, I love adventure. One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to ride my Ducati Monster 750 motorcycle. Additionally, I just returned from a vacation in Peru, where I trekked through the Amazon Jungle! That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
 
Melody Carey.


New and Renewed Members, continued

Kathleen Powers
Edelita Tichepco
Modine Manufacturing Company
Nimble Storage
Brian Risinger
Julie Tracy
Sonoco Products Company
Wright Medical Group N.V.
Beth Rosellini
Mark Warren
Nexeon MedSystems
Vulcan Materials Company
Maroi Shoji
G. Christopher Welton
Melissa Skauradchun
Cnova
Lear Corporation
Helen Wilson
 
Chubb Limited


   
New &
Renewed Members

NIRI Virtual would like to welcome and congratulate both our new and renewed members.
 
Kelly Abt
Kei Advisors LLC
Remy Bernarda
Galena Biopharma, Inc.
Catharine Brierre
ONEOK, Inc.
Robert Burrows
Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
Kathryn Campbell
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Constance Chandler
University of Oregon
John Connolly
John Connolly & Partners
Alison Donnelly
Surgical Care Affiliates
Richard Dye
Kei Advisors LLC
Mary Egloff
Kei Advisors LLC
Bianca Fersini Mastelloni
POLYTEMS HIR Srl
Lies Florentie
VASCO Data Security Int'l
Elaine Gaudioso
Nimble Storage
Nathaniel Gilch
Dick's Sporting Goods
Garett Gough
Kei Advisors LLC
Anne Halstead
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Loren Hanson
Otter Tail Corporation
William Harrison
Semtech Corporation
Melanie Hennessey
NovaGold Resources Inc.
Karen Howard
Kei Advisors LLC
Steven Hufford
Blackbaud, Inc.
Pedro Insussarry
Telecom Argentina S.A.
Bradley Joseph
Perrigo Company
Melissa Kelly
Alexium International
Sharon Kerr
Kei Advisors LLC
Megan Lewis
ONEOK, Inc.
Mindy Lowe
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
Bob May
Synovus Financial Corp.
Scott McKinney
Mattress Firm
Lucy McNiece
Genmab Inc.
Kevin Monaco
Coty Inc.
Thomas Morabito
Veritiv Corporation
Craig Mychajluk
Kei Advisors LLC
Dana Nolan
Regions Financial Corporation
Frank O'Neil
ProAssurance Corporation
Dawn O'Neill
Badger Meter, Inc.
Ron Parham
Columbia Sportswear Company
Deborah Pawlowski
Kei Advisors LLC
Randy Peterman
Erie Insurance Group
Carey Phelps
Diane Piegza
Sovran Self Storage, Inc.
James Polehna
Kelly Services, Incorporated




Sponsor
H ighlight

IPREO

The intricate world of equity options is vast and can be difficul t to digest, but it offers valuable insight for IROs and their executive teams who are equipped to properly interpret the data. Ipreo has been ana
ipreo
ly z in g equity options activity and discussing the use of options, primarily OTC options, by activists from the start of its corporate IR business in 2006. Ipreo's Rob Perle led a team effort to put together a comprehensive guide to options and options trading strategies specifically for IROs.  Get it here .

More information on IR, the Capital Markets and various other topics can be found our on blog:
www.ipreo.com/blog .


We'd like to thank our sponsors for their continued support.
Gold Level Sponsors

broadridge

Silver Level Sponsors

ipreo



Bronze Level Sponsors

Sponsor - Businesswire




 



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