Message from the Ontario Chapter
Fellow Members:
The Ontario Chapter will begin its fall 2012 programming season on September 25 with “Understanding National Instrument 43-101” and how it impacts investor relations. This workshop and accompanying webinar will demystify this important statute for CIRI members engaged in mining IR. Watch for details on this event and others (including “how to attract retail investors” and “proxy plumbing and the year ahead in regulatory affairs”) in our fall programming calendar, which will be mailed shortly.
To register for these events and our CIRI Mentorship Breakfast Series, please visit here.
Board Developments
During the summer, your Board formalized the mandates and responsibilities of each of its four committees: membership, mentorship, programming and marketing. This was an important exercise that helped new Directors better understand their responsibilities and returning Directors to better focus committee activities for the benefit of members. Click here for our committee mandates.
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve communication with members beyond impersonal (albeit efficient) emails and eblasts, your Board is introducing our Ambassador Program. It works this way: each Board member has been assigned a short list of members and will reach out to that group in order to establish a personal connection. Watch for your Ambassador to contact you in early September to let you know about our fall events and to take note of any issues or questions you have about CIRI Ontario.
2012 Member Gala
CIRI Ontario has chosen Thursday November 22nd as the date for our second annual member gala. The theme: A Night at the Races. The venue: the Turf Lounge in Toronto. This is your chance to network with fellow CIRI Ontario members, our generous sponsors (so far including Laurel Hill Advisory Group and Fundamental Creative) and representatives from other leading investment industry organizations while learning how to wager on horse racing.
If you would like more information on gala sponsorships, which are an economical way to promote your company to decision-makers in the IR community, please contact our Gala Chairperson, Sarah Borg Olivier at SBorg-Olivier@Capstoneinfrastructure.com.
Membership Stats
At the end of July 2012, the Ontario Chapter had 244 members, making us the largest of CIRI’s four provincial chapters. Since the beginning of the year, we have welcomed 37 new members. While that’s good, our goal is 70 new memberships for the year.
If you know of someone who may be interested in joining, please encourage them to do so and to list you on their member application (under “how did you hear of CIRI”) so you may receive a $100 Refer a Friend credit. To view details of this program, click here or simply ask them to contact CIRI National or any member of the Ontario chapter board.
CIRI Ontario chapter members include IROs (71%), consultants (15%) and professional services representatives (15%). We are also diversified by served industry: today, 33% of our members work in the mining sector, 12% in financial services sector and 36% in other industry sectors, from manufacturing to technology. Our board has good representation from a variety of these sectors.
CIRI membership is valued by fellow practitioners for many reasons, including:
- Our free mentorship program, where protégés are matched – based on personal needs – with experienced practitioners to develop their skills and knowledge;
- Our Mentorship Breakfast Series, also free to members, where you can hear the career stories of experienced fellow practitioners and other members of the investment community;
- Our “lunch and learns”, which bring us together on the final Tuesday of each month from September to May with high profile guest speakers from the investment community in Canada and the US (your Ontario membership entitles you to a member discount);
- Professional development workshops;
- Networking socials;
- CIRI’s advocacy efforts and leadership on issues of relevance to our industry and to the broader investment community; and
- Timely, relevant publications that provide a great resource for staying current on the IR industry
If you are not yet a member of CIRI and the Ontario Chapter, I wholeheartedly encourage you to join.
Volunteers Needed
As volunteer directors, we are always open to assistance from other chapter members. If you have an idea for an event or wish to serve one of our four standing committees (membership, mentorship, marketing and programming) or join our 2012 gala team, please let me know. Volunteering is a great way to meet new members and shape the future direction of the chapter.
Yours sincerely,