Investor Relations Update March 2008 Changes at the Exchanges details how 18% of IR programs have been significantly affected by recent changes at NYSE Euronext and Nasdaq.com Alert!

Executive Compensation in Focus for Investors suggests that this proxy season shareholder activists will be looking beyond the S&P500 in their efforts to effect governance changes at less visible, mid-cap companies that have previously operated below their radar screens. Economic Outlook: What the IRO and Management Need to Know shares insights on the state of the economy and various risk factors that affect its overall viability.

CA Magazine November 2007 Relevant and Timely, Please states that while earnings guidance is useful to investors, it could damage shareholder wealth if it’s not top notch. Effective guidance should include details as to why and how management arrives at a particular estimate, and guidance regarding negative events should be released in a timely manner.

Director December 2007 Amended OBCA Provisions Relevant to Directors details several recent amendments to the Ontario Business Corporations Act. Changes to the OCBA make clear that directors owe their duty of care to the corporation, not its shareholders.

Investor Relations Update August 2007 A Different Angle on IROs’ Hedge Fund Headaches reveals IROs’ issues and concerns about hedge funds, including:

• identifying/understanding hedge funds and how much of my company do they own?
• when will a hedge fund manager ask to meet the CEO?
• will these funds become activists that put pressure on company management to make changes?

A 2006 study of 888 hostile and non-hostile interactions with public companies – launched by 131 activist hedge funds between 2001 and 2005 – has been published as Hedge Fund Activism, Corporate Governance, and Firm Performance and may be downloaded

Investor Relations Update May/June 2007 Some Survival Tips for Life on the Fly offers 10 tips to help IROs planning a roadshow to stay a step ahead and remain focused.

Investor Relations Update April 2007
CEOs and Analysts Weigh in on Earnings Guidance outlines the recommendations of the CFA Institute and the Business Roundtable Institute as they call for more transparent, ‘apples to apples’ reporting of corporate earnings.

IR Magazine March 2007 Click, Click, Bling Bling provides details about new Internet accessories that could help drive a company’s investment story without standing in its way.

In other Words… says that a short-term message gets short-term investors. In a series of symposia, NIRI, Business Roundtable and the CFA Institute began rethinking what goes into SEC filings, how the content gets there and who is best placed to produce it, in the context of another problem: ‘short-termism’ in investor outlook.

Corporate Governance Review October/November 2006 Climate Change Risk Finding its Way into the Mainstream? suggests that, although Canadian government policy provides few incentives for investors to incorporate climate change into their investment decisions, some investors are joining international initiatives that address climate risk and asking how climate change will affect their portfolios.

Investment Executive October 2006 A Sweeping Overhaul outlines the report from a task force – formed by the Investment Dealers Association of Canada – that examined the content of securities regulation in Canada. Among the report’s 65 recommendations for a sweeping overhaul of the current inefficient system:

• the creation of a separate capital markets court to hear cases concerning regulatory offences and, possibly, civil liability cases; and
• the creation of a cooperative national program for coordinating enforcement among securities regulators, self-regulatory organizations and law enforcement agencies.

Investor Relations Magazine August 2006 Hitting the Mark describes today’s new and improved, multi-skilled IRO. Executive search firms report that, among other attributes and skill sets, IROs are now expected to have a flair for numbers and financial modeling, an understanding of capital markets and regulation, line management experience, and sufficient credibility to stand in for CEOs and CFOs.

CA Magazine June/July 2006 Going Global details the decision by Canada’s Accounting Standards Board to adopt international financial reporting standards.

Investment Executive June 2006 National Regulator Round Tables Mired in Regional Concerns details the squabbles about issues – such as where to locate the regulator – that seem to overshadow prospects for a more efficient, effective system.

Investor Relations Magazine May 2006 Too Young to Fly reports on the IR challenges for AIM-listed companies. While many are taking a proactive approach to investor relations, they aren’t required to do so.

Disclosure: Canada and Beyond explains the changing Canadian regulatory regime.

How they do it at Aeroplan gives behind-the-scenes perspectives on Aeroplan’s IPO.

Raising the Stakes looks at the effect of Canada’s heightened disclosure penalties – some of the strictest in the world.

Investor Relations Update May 2006 The IRO as Strategic Partner explains that IROs who present directly to the Board gain more than a feather in their cap; they are able to influence senior management, and ensure that shareholder perspectives are reflected to the Board in strategic communication and decision-making. The article offers practical steps for becoming a key part of the management team.

Investor Relations Update June 2006 How to Think Like Leaders and Innovators encourages IROs to behave like business entrepreneurs: bring out the best in a company through effective communication; make strategic decisions; find innovative ways to add long-term value; and get themselves, their IR programs and their companies where they need to go.

Qualities of a leader include: persistence; conviction that one’s actions matter; tolerance for uncertainty; and irrepressible resilience, or the ability to bounce back from difficult situations. Reshaping the Financial Landscape is a primer on recent changes in U.S. markets and exchanges.

Which Comes First: Managing Risk or Strategy Setting? A company-wide assessment can help management determine whether risks are inconsistent with or exceed the company’s comfort level. Since the operating environment is constantly changing, strategy setting is a dynamic process that never ends. The same applies to risk assessment.

Creating Visibility for Small Caps Although every company has budget and resource limitations, there are simple outreach tactics that virtually all can employ.

CA Magazine May 2006 Linking CEO Pay to Performance details the percentage change in CEO pay from 2003 to 2004. A study by Watson Wyatt, a global consulting firm focused on human capital and financial management. concludes: organizations whose CEOs earned above median increases in their total cash compensation (base salary plus bonus) for 2004 delivered a median total return to shareholders of 19.4% – more than twice as much as their counterparts who earned below-median increases. For the complete article, go to www.camagazine.com/ceopay.

The IR Mentor May 2006 Measurement and Benchmarking for Ultimate IR Success This latest in a series of NIRI Guides to Best Practices asks IROs whether their company’s stock is fully and fairly valued, and what will make investors buy their shares. Responses become the outline of a manageable IR program and markers pointing to appropriate tactics. Day-to-day decisions about messaging, annual report themes, perception studies, targeting, methods of communication, roadshows, internal feedback and other activities that make up the IR cycle fit together, tactical measurements make sense, and the answers to larger questions appear incrementally.

Investor Relations Magazine March 2006 Independents’ Day reports that sell-side research will soon feel the heat from the growing independent research industry. So far, there are two business models for this research. Some research firms are choosing sectors and companies they want to cover and selling their research directly to individual and institutional investors. Others are producing paid-for or corporate-sponsored research. Clients of companies in this group are under-covered firms that pay for research distributed through various channels.

Seven Deadly Sins advises what not to do in this year’s annual report. At best, a poor annual report will lose readers. At worst, it damages corporate credibility and reputation.

Survival Tactics details the experiences of two IROs who recently managed their companies’ IR programs through takeovers that cost them their jobs. One IRO profiled is CIRI member Jeremy Lee, who details his experiences during the recent acquisition of CP Ships.

Canadian Business March 13-26, 2006 The New Barbarians asks whether hedge funds are really corporate raiders, or shareholder saviours. And by capitalizing on and exhausting the opportunities available, are the activist funds simultaneously working towards their own extinction?

Corporate Governance Quarterly Spring 2006 A Vote by any other Name Although the U.S. is behind schedule in global best practices for majority voting, the new system is rapidly picking up speed. If majority voting is widely adopted, IROs will take a greater role in the proxy process, as it will become increasingly important for companies to lobby shareholders to support director candidates.

Harvard Business Review April 2006 The Unexpected Benefits of Sarbanes-Oxley reports that some companies have stopped complaining about SOX, and have turned it to their advantage – bringing operations under better control while driving down compliance costs.

Investment Executive April 2006 CSA Move Pleases Street asks whether the CSA’s move to drop the proposed internal control reporting rule will give retail investors confidence in the markets. This rule would have required issuers to have auditors vouch for the quality of their internal controls. Instead, the CSA will make internal control reporting part of the certification procedure for CEOs and CFOs.

Investor Relations Update March 2006 Does your Company Work within Silos or a Coop? is a practical look at integrated communications. The role of IR in this process should not be underestimated, and could involve the IRO as:

• educator – providing the why as well as the how to of integrated communication;
• advocate – influencing decisions about strategic communications and core messages;
• leader – taking the first step of sharing a press release with another communications colleague, or offering to eyeball someone else’s work in a non-threatening way;
• communicator – delivering clear, accurate, meaningful and consistent messages to the investment community; and
• student – staying abreast of what’s happening inside and outside the company, particularly with regard to shareholders.

SOX Exemption for Small Caps? details the SEC’s advisory group’s recommendation that smaller public companies should not have to fully comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If adopted, the recommendation would exempt 80% of U.S. companies from having to comply fully with SOX.

Investor Relations Magazine January 2006 Guide to Icing Analysts reports on the ‘art and science’ of analyst retaliation in the era of Reg FD, which was supposed to sound the death knell of favoritism in dispensing information. Can companies still drive stakes into analysts’ heart in subtle ways by freezing out the naysayers? The SEC disclosed that some companies punish analysts by not allowing them to ask questions on conference calls, limiting access to senior management, not inviting them to participate in roadshows, threatening to withdraw business from other areas of the analysts’ firm, intimidation and humiliation on conference calls, and threatening legal action.

Investor Relations Update September 2005 Annual Reports – Two Perspectives details trends in the preparation of annual reports. The conclusion: annual reports continue to carry great weight: content is shifting and expanding toward greater information about intangibles, and 10-K wraps are on the increase.

Investor Relations Update July 2005 The Company Disclosure Committee examines the structure of Disclosure Committees at several companies, and offers advice for IROs on how to get a seat at the table.

Talk the Walk! Any Risk Worth Taking is Worth Communicating encourages companies to allow IROs full access to the strategy process and the ability to communicate openly to the investment community in order to reduce the likelihood of knee-jerk reactions to earnings surprises or changes in guidance.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act Generates Costs and Benefits reports on a recent NIRI panel, which concluded that despite the high costs required for its implementation, SOX has succeeded in raising the standard of internal controls for public companies.

Investor Relations Update August 2005 It's a Hedge, Hedge, Hedge Fund World details what IROs need to know about this significant investor class.

Seize the Moment says IROs now have their best opportunity to influence the growth and success of their companies.

The Night People of IR examines the technology available for IROs to take shareholder surveillance to a new level. IROs can monitor every email within their companies from their desktop computers in order to detect "new and troubling securities exposure [that] could exist relative to Regulation FD". It's also possible to know every reference to a company on the Internet, from anywhere in the world, including unsecured and log-in sites – through Usenets, user groups, forums, chat rooms and online news services.

Although some types of monitoring are illegal, varying by jurisdiction, the ability to eavesdrop on anyone – instant messages on a Blackberry included – is there for the asking.Investor Relations Magazine July 2005 A Moving Target looks at the changing landscape of earnings guidance. Analysts continue to insist they need direction, while companies struggle to avoid missing expectations and having the share price feel the impact.The Verdict is In reports on the effects of the first round of Section 404 certifications.

Full Stream Ahead details results of a 2005 survey of webcast usage by FTSE 100 companies.

Investor Relations Magazine August 2005 Unintended Consequences looks at some of the unexpected ramifications of implementing Sox Section 404, particularly on costs and resources. The article concludes that next year Sox 404 should be a little less painful and, hopefully, less costly. New guidance from the SEC and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) aims to dispel some of the unintended consequences and encourages a risk-oriented approach tailored to the needs and size of each company, opens the door for management and auditors to use their own judgment in delineating the scope of the internal control work, and urges more dialogue between auditors and company management.

A Lasting Impression advises that IR messaging will always benefit from good design, whether it's for annual reports or websites.

Canadian Business August 15-28, 2005 A Higher Calling details the magazine's fifth annual governance rankings. More companies are receiving full points for governance.

The Right Fit offers five steps to get a boardroom seat; and five ways to lose one.

Hat Trick examines SERPs – supplemental executive retirement plans – or 'top hat' plans, as they're commonly referred to. Unlike regular pension plans, which are based on a simple formula that multiplies a percentage of the employee's base salary by the number of years worked, SERPs often include not just the base salary, but also bonuses, long-term incentives and other perks that can send the cost of the pension soaring.

Business Week August 15, 2005 The Debate Over Doing Good says that Corporate Social Responsibility seems like an apple pie virtue, but it's actually quite controversial. Proponents argue that CSR burnishes a company's reputation and builds goodwill that can pay off when scandals or regulatory scrutiny arise. But detractors claim CSR costs too much, can come at the expense of priorities such as research and development, and is rarely valued by the Street. Many corporate executives believe that the role of business is to generate profits for shareholders, not to spend money to achieve a perceived social benefit.

The IR Mentor July 2005 Board Communication Best Practices for IROs This new publication from NIRI includes samples of written IR board reports, charts and graphs, and oral presentations. Also included are sections on: new director orientation; perception studies; and earnings guidance.

Investor Relations Magazine May 2005 Boardroom Strategy addresses the pros and cons of direct IR reports to the Board [see Newsline lead article May 2005].

Canadian Business March 14-27, 2005 Artful Figures looks at the annual reports of companies that 'don't cut the mustard'. A number of independent experts were canvassed for examples of companies that aren't giving investors sufficient information on which to base decisions.

Heard on the Street

Heard on the Street
Newsline January 2005 Volume 15 Issue 1

Heard on the Street
Newsline Volume 14 Issue 6

IR Magazine, September 2004 The Next Generation examines whether market optimism and recent legislation are changing the face of the annual report.

What does Senior Management Expect from IR? This question is posed to eight IROs, including former CIRI chair, John Rogers, of Suncor in Calgary.

Climbing New Heights reports on the growing trend of Boards looking for IR information and concludes: “Companies that hesitate to bring their IROs before the Board need to reexamine their priorities experts say – because there’s no reason to fear what might transpire. … If you want to market your story consistently, you have to align the board and give it an honest rendering of the information and relationships IR is witness to.”

Investor Relations Update September 2004 Issues and Annuals: Trends in Annual Reports includes information gleaned from NIRI’s August 2004 Annual Reports Survey. Among the trends: 69% are eliminating unnecessary information from their reports; and 65% are including management's view of the implications and significance of material information.

Bringing Annual Report Costs Under Control offers seven practical cost-cutting tips, including “bring the printer, photographer, designer, illustrator and other suppliers into the project from day one”.

Digging Wells is a primer on receiving an SEC Wells notification, which is a formal letter form the SEC stating that it intends to pursue a civil action against a company, its directors or officers, or even its accounting firm.

Living with the Shrinking Sell Side asks whether sell-side analysts are an endangered species. While there are no reliable statistics on the number of analysts who have left the sell side, informal surveys and anecdotal evidence imply that coverage of sectors ranging from manufacturing and utilities to technology has been reduced or eliminated.

Investor Relations Update October 2004 No Director Left Behind examines the dearth of good independent director candidates and what to do if you’re fortunate enough to find one. Director education is a natural role for IROs, who are a logical source of specific, detailed information about a company, including where the skeletons are buried. IROs are in the perfect position to provide feedback on what a company’s audience thinks is crucial to its proper long-term direction.

The Investor Relations Gumshoe focuses on the IRO’s need to gather competitive intelligence, and ability to piece together clues by finding meaning in data.

Gaining Visibility for Small Caps gives practical tips for small, focused IR programs that can have large-scale success.

Canadian Business, August 30-September 12, 2004 One for All concludes that most provinces – including Ontario – are not eager to turn over any of their powers to a national securities regulator.

Canadian Business, September 13-26, 2004 Canada’s Dirty Secret suggests that Canadian regulators tend to ignore OTC Canadian-based issuers because they don't trade on Canadian exchanges, and American regulators are less inclined to pursue foreign issuers. It notes that while improved transparency has raised the quality of OTCBB trade execution, there is still little regulatory oversight.

A Code of Silence opines that departing directors are not required to declare openly why they’re leaving. The writer feels that the boardroom tradition is one of secrecy and stony silence – but points to Stephen Jarislowsky as an exception to the rule.

It’s Not Mutual says Canada lags the U.S. in fund governance and includes the following comment from Glorianne Stromberg, former member of the OSC: “We need strong leadership among financial regulators now. But then again, it’s hard to be a strong leader when you look around and no one seems to be following.”

Canadian Business, September 27-October 10, 2004 Revenge of the Nerds could be subtitled Enron Part 2: the Return of the Auditor. Sarbanes-Oxley has done a lot to restore the shine on auditors’ reputations and fill their coffers. It concludes, “In this game of survival of the fittest, the bean-counters have won.”

Canadian Business, October 11-24, 2004 On Guard for You details the new cops on the Street – the RCMP’s Integrated Market Enforcement team, an elite squad comprised of experienced RCMP investigators, forensic accountant and securities market experts – whose mandate is to work with Canada’s securities enforcement community to crack down on corporate crime and restore confidence in Canada’s financial markets.

Canadian Investment Review, Fall 2004 Does Corporate Governance Matter to Canadian Investors? is based on a study by the Richard Ivey School of Business. It concludes: “In the short term, perceptions do matter. Markets react statistically significantly, but only marginally economically to ‘news’ related to corporate governance rankings. In the longer-term, good governance matters as well, although one must be carefulto adjust for risk and to consider a long enough time period.” The complete article is available to CIRI members on ciri.org’s Reading Room, under Corporate Governance.

Director, October 2004 What’s the Big Deal? Offers insight into corporate boards’ processes in assessing major acquisitions. In the best case, the board is well-prepared and at least some of the outside directors have developed a deep understanding if the industry’s evolving structure in advance. IROs take note.
Director is a publication of the Institute of Corporate Directors www.icd.ca.

On the Frankness of Directors When Resigning from Boards asks the question: to b(lab) or not to b(lab)? And offers arguments on both sides. “Voluntary resignation from a board is an event and what is said by directors leaving is important. The explanation offered can influence shareholder views and investment decisions.”

Monday October 4th, ACE Aviation Holdings, the company that emerged from the Air Canada reorganization, and Quebecor World Inc. will launch trading with new stock symbols. ACE Aviation will be ACE.RV. The new code suffix "RV" represents a "restricted voting issue" and Quebecor will be IQW.SV to indicate a "subordinate voting issue." These are the first in a series of rollouts between October 4 and December 13, with the stock symbols for those shares with non-conventional voting structures being re-named, bringing additional clarity to the differences between various types of securities that trade on Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange.

Heard on the Street column from Newsline Volume 14 Issue 4 – July 2004

Investor Relations Update February 2004
Are You Making It Clear? , looks at transparency, reinforcing that “IROs should be their company’s leader and coordinator for good corporate governance, annual report MD&A, company communication, disclosure assessment team and disclosure processes.” Tips and best practices on achieving the right balance between transparency and confidentiality are included.

What’s Up with the Analysts? examines the new generation of independent and issuer-paid research firms that has emerged due to Wall Street’s curtailed research budgets. Stock research firms that produce issuer-paid reports for dissemination to investors are doing increasing business.

Investor Relations Update June 2004
The Joy of IR reminds us that instructions and guidelines for becoming a great IRO, like a cookbook recipe, don’t do justice to the nuances, judgement calls, and trial and error involved. But whether it’s a part of the process or results from it, the most successful IROs have discovered the joy of IR.

IROs and the Media presents the results of a snapshot survey of U.S. IROs regarding their involvement in producing the MD&A. Eighty-seven percent of respondents took part in preparing the MD&A.

Canadian Investment Review, Spring 2004
Searching for the Governance Grail examines whether there is a link between the quality of corporate governance and a firm’s performance or CEO compensation. The authors note that no all-encompassing definition of ‘good governance’ exists and base their examination on The Globe and Mail’s Corporate Governance Rankings. They conclude that good governance “seems to have little, if any, relation to firm performance and CEO pay seems to be determined more by size than performance”.

IR Magazine, May 2004
Changing Rules of Engagement points out that U.S. investment funds are increasingly confronting European management over corporate governance issues.

Northern Disclosure Between the TSX’s 14 governance guidelines and the OSC’s proposed 18 best governance practices, there are now real repercussions for Canadian companies that fail to disclose whether or not they follow the regulators’ principles. This article highlights the corporate governance practices of several large Canadian firms.

Revamping MD&A The SEC issued a release in December 2003 warning companies against disclosing “merely a recitation of financial statements in narrative form or an otherwise uninformative series of technical responses to MD&A requirements”. Both the SEC and OSC have analyzed the quality of disclosure in annual reports, and found them wanting. This article offers seven points to consider when preparing or reviewing MD&As.

IR Magazine, June 2004
Digging Deep explores how IR departments are using outside agencies to ‘get the scoop’ on journalists and investors. A recent survey revealed that, even though the use of outside help for media training, public relations and crisis management has been available for some time, more companies are now calling on agencies for assistance in these areas. A list of agencies and their URLs is included.

Making history looks at IR’s role in an active 2004 proxy season.

Wanted: IR director for blue-chip company asks IROs who have made it big what it takes to get to the top of the IR heap.

The next big thing? examines videoconferencing, and asks why relatively few companies use this technology on a regular basis to meet with the investment community.

IR Guide Number 6
The IR web site: a mission-critical application offers information about IR website use by the buy-side, sell-side and retail investors. It includes some pet peeves, as well as tips on choosing website and webcast providers.

Corporate Governance Quarterly Spring 2004
Small-cap companies: a practical guide for directors offers six guidelines for appropriate conduct by directors of small-cap companies: understand the business; understand the risks; identify and manage related party issues; understand the financial statements and the financial reporting process; insist on being kept informed; and, when necessary, be proactive. The author concludes: “The onus placed on you as an independent director, then, is not to be Solomon-like in your determinations, but rather is to ensure that you have obtained from the company, in a timely manner, all information and responses to questions necessary to allow you to make a reasonable decision. If you take the required time to digest that information and apply it using your best judgment, you are well on your way to discharging your governance obligations.”

Searching for an alternative to stock options advises corporations that are considering changes to their equity-based compensation programs to move with caution to ensure they’re achieving their goals.

Corporate Governance Quarterly Summer 2004
Sarbanes-Oxley: the IT dimension Meeting the requirements of SOX Sections 302 (Corporate Responsibility for Financial Reporting) and 404 (Management Assessment of Internal Controls) can affect a company’s IT department. “Because many of the internal controls for financial reporting are IT-dependent, it is important to highlight the key technology enablers of business processes, and to foster a mutual understanding of the definition of internal controls between the business and IT members of the Sarbanes project team,” the article states.

Janet McFarland reported on this for the Globe and Mail. You can find her article on the Globe and Mail's website. A webcast of the meeting is available from Canada NewsWire. The complete report may be downloaded from the CCGG's website www.ccgg.ca in PDF format.

Heard on the Street column from Newsline Volume 14 Issue 3 – May 2004

Investor Relations Update February 2004
Trends in International Investor Relations has some practical tips for IROs thinking about a European roadshow. Although the article is presented from an American point of view, the information it contains is valid for Canadian IROs.

Stay Tuned to…2004 Proxy Season advises IROs to be prepared for some possible contentious elections and meetings. More vigilant institutional investors, direct nominations of directors by investors, corporate governance issues, CEO compensation – the list of possible pitfalls keeps growing.

Investor Relations Update March 2004
Targeting Platforms: 12 Questions to ask before you buy. Do you need to better understand your shareholders, identify new investors and market to both groups? Then you might want to contact vendors that offer web-based platforms to help accomplish these tasks. This article includes 12 questions you should ask to help you make an informed decision about the product that’s best for your company.

A Change in Climate: IRO – Board Interactions, gives the U.S. perspective on the main issue highlighted in this issue of Newsline – IROs getting a seat at the table. Update’s snapshot survey reveals that only 35% of IROs make face-to-face presentations to their boards. Three main paths to the boardroom are identified, plus some reasons for taking advantage of the current fertile ground for IRO-board conversations.

It’s Not Just for Management: IROs need to hone their skills too, reminds IROs that once they’ve gained a seat at the table, additional abilities are needed to stay there: presentation skills; organizational know-how, time management; stress management; and more.

Investor Relations Update April 2004
A Change in Climate, IRO–Board Interactions Part II takes a practical look at making a case for presenting to the board of directors, what to say once you’re there, and new ways to provide value to the board.

What’s in a Word? gives practical tips for writing corporate information for your website. Did you know that most people ignore ads, graphics and other images, but focus on text heading and captions? And most people read only the first part of a paragraph before skipping to the next one.

Canadian Investment Review, Spring 2004
Searching for the Governance Grail. Is there a link between the quality of corporate governance and a firm’s performance or CEO compensation? Although the authors note that no single all-encompassing definition of ‘good governance’ exists, they use The Globe and Mail’s Corporate Governance Rankings as the basis for their examination. They conclude that good governance “seems to have little, if any, relation to firm performance and CEO pay seems to be determined more by size than performance”.

IR Magazine, April 2004
Orchestrated Accounting asks whether IROs – and their companies – are ready for the transition to global reporting standards. Many forward-thinking companies are giving top priority to the conversion, which will allow analysts to compare apples with apples. For more information about the global convergence to international financial reporting standards (IRFS) visit www.iasb.org; www.iasplus.com; and/or www.accountancyage.com.

Chicken Little Syndrome explores what IROs can do to be prepared if the market turns sour. Among the suggestions: avoid timing your IR program to the market swings; make a list of what worked and what didn’t during the last downturn; and know your top shareholders’ hot buttons. Can You Restate That? offers practical advice from IROs who have managed the process when their companies needed to restate earnings. Those who have been through it say that IROs have to be involved in the strategizing from the beginning.

IR Magazine, March 2004
Spinning the Web examines how some IROs are using web conferencing to facilitate IR and features a helpful directory of companies providing this service.

Corporate Governance Review February/March 2004 takes a detailed look at the OSC’s proposed Multilateral Policy 58-201 – Effective Corporate Governance, and examines new shareholder proposal rules in British Columbia’s Business Corporations Act.

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Tony Martin's interview with Richard Wertheim may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Laura Ramsay's article on IR Firms helping corporations meet new regulatory requirements may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Ann Kerr's article on annual reports may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Suzanne Wintrob's article on communicating with investors through technology may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Michael Lewis' article on Internet rumours may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

The Globe & Mail ran a series of articles today regarding Investor Relations. Randy Ray's article on Investor Relations and Corporate Governance may be found online at GlobeInvestor.com

Remarks by Rick George, President and CEO, Suncor Energy Inc., to CIRI Annual Investor Relations Conference, May 26, 2003, Victoria, B.C.