A large group of professionals dedicated to investor relations gathered yesterday in Madrid for the presentation of Oskar Yasar's book, The Global Investor Relations Revolution. At the meeting organised by AERI, Mediatree, Alantra and Broome Yasar, the headhunter, one of the most recognised globally in recruiting for IR and Corporate Communication positions, explained the transformation that investor relations are undergoing in the strategy of the organisations themselves, which is the thesis of his book.
In the book, published in 2025 and considered one of the most important studies conducted to date on the profession of IR, Yasar traces its evolution from financial reporting to an increasingly close position to senior management and decision-making.
The keys to this change are threefold. On the one hand, what the author calls the birth of the “Power IRO”. The head of IR is no longer a financial public relations officer; they are an increasingly well-prepared profile through MBA/CFA training and have direct access to the board. Furthermore, the regulatory change brought about by MiFID II and the arrival of activism, ESG investment, and AI has forced the function to be professionalised. Lastly, the convergence between the IR and Corporate Communication departments. Since funds no longer invest solely based on financial results but on the complete story of the company, many investor relations officers are also taking on corporate communication responsibilities.
“After 30 years of transformation and growth, I can say that Investor Relations have never stagnated because we have always adapted and evolved. The future of our profession will depend on our willingness to take on the challenge and move it forward,” concluded Yasar.
To explain the coordinates on which the future of the IR function will unfold, the meeting featured the participation of professionals from the sector. Among them, Luca Passa, CFO of Snam and former CFO of Endesa, believes that curiosity, seeing their role as an internal advisor to management, maintaining constant feedback with the market, and intensity are the main skills that an IR head must possess. “What really drives the IR function in terms of contribution to companies is curiosity. This ability also helps to move up the ladder, to transition from IR to, for example, CFO, and to maintain management's trust. One can never relax,” he explains.