FP for Forbes: When passive investors become active and other tales from The Street

Forbes contributor Robin Ferracone interviews Moira Conlon about the trends she's seeing in investor relations.

Almost three years ago to the day, I interviewed Moira Conlon, CEO and president of Financial Profiles Inc., on the topic of “How to Best Communicate with Shareholders.” Conlon has been involved with investor relations and financial public relations for more than 25 years. She started Financial Profiles in 2007 to help public and pre-IPO companies address issues affecting valuation and corporate reputation and to effectively communicate with Wall Street and the financial press. In addition, Financial Profiles serves as the public relations (PR) agency for the Pacific Southwest and Chicago Chapters of the National Association of Corporate Directors. With a staff of about 20 executives, Moira and her team have deep and broad experience gained at Wall Street firms, global Investor Relations (IR) and PR organizations and corporations across several market segments. Moira, thanks again for participating in our Executive PayWatch blog.

Robin Ferracone: I know you are in the thick of proxy season 2019. What are the biggest changes you see this season as it relates to investor relations?

Moira Conlon: Best practices continue to evolve as companies focus on leveraging the proxy to win the vote of passive investors, a category that has grown exponentially in recent years. Today’s proxy disclosure goes well beyond SEC requirements. It includes investor relations messaging, addresses a growing number of investor concerns, and provides context for evaluating all of the information presented. Key areas of focus in the 2019 proxy season include board diversity, executive compensation, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, among others...