Head of Investor Relations

Our client is a well-known large financial services organization based in UAE. They are looking to hire a Head of Investor Relations to their team.

The job holder will hold a strategic management responsibility of Investor Relations that enables a fair and trustworthy two-way communication between the business entity and its current and prospective target stakeholders, namely the financial community and other constituencies.

Job Purpose/ Key Result Area

• Head of Investor Relations will support the GCFO in providing guidance on strategic topics across the Bank and coordinating bank-wide strategic initiatives.
• The Head of Investor Relations will be developing and supporting a world class IR program.
• They will work closely with the CEO, CFO, the Finance division and the Corporate Communication division to ensure consistent messages are delivered to stakeholders.
• The key role of the function is spread across two areas: Investor Relations & Fintech Initiatives.

Objectives

• To convey a strong, consistent, and well understood investment message.
• To put in place a world class investor relations capability, working according to a defined strategy and calendar.
• To educate international financial audiences about the Company, including the strength of its corporate strategy and management.
• To create the basis for sustained enhancement of the Companys investor (and other stakeholders) relationships, through a program of regular communication to maintain and strengthen the companys profile.
• To undertake all communications in line with international best practices and relevant market regulations.
• To co-ordinate internal processes to ensure effective communications with external audiences

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with Group PR, CFO, CEO and Senior Management on group level

Regular external reporting activities:

• Continue to develop with the Board, the Companys key messages and ensure data required by the financial markets are provided in a clear and concise manner on a timely basis, including all regulatory announcements and disclosures.
• Work with the external IR advisory consultancy and internal management to ensure that other corporate press releases of a market sensitive nature are produced on a timely basis and to the requisite world class standard.
• Designing, copywriting and maintaining the investor relations section of the corporate website; and developing other collateral and presentations, including the annual report and investor packs to support analyst/investor outreach.

Investor targeting/Analyst outreach:

• Competitor and peer-group analyses; shareholder and bond holder identification.
• Develop an investor targeting programme and manage the annual calendar of IR conferences and other events to provide regular contact with principal bond and shareholders and key underweight and non-holders.
• Liaison with external bond- and shareholder identification service providers - Prepare capital markets communications literature and presentations, slide show packs and roadshow materials.
• Attend key investor/analyst/journalist meetings, where appropriate with CEO and/or CFO and other Executive Directors.
• Manage periodic investor days and coordinate ad hoc analyst and investor tours, ensuring supporting materials are prepared as necessary.
• Maintain regular contact with buy- and sell-side analysts, including responding to ad hoc queries.

Ongoing management of IR activities:

• Prepare an annual investor relations plan and budget for the IR function:
• Monitor analysts forecast on an ongoing basis, comparison with the Companys own forecasts, and work to guide expectations as appropriate.
• Monitor share price and valuation of the company.
• Monitor and review analyst reports on the Company and its peers and highlight any key issues for discussion with Executive Management.
• Oversee the production of the Annual Report in conjunction with other relevant business verticals.
• Organise conferences, road shows, earnings conference calls, and investor meetings - Run Debt Capital Market IR programme.
• Run Capital Markets Days.
• Write the investor relations Board reports to ensure Executive Management are up to date with the IR function and the financial markets views and concerns.

Other/ad hoc management:

• Management of IR team.
• Maintaining a database of all investor/broker contact.
• Create detailed weekly reports of sell-side and buy-side interaction to Group CFO/CEO.
• Liaise with the companys retained stockbrokers, investment bankers and financial PR advisor.
• Manage Rating Agency relationships.
• Write and coordinate aspects of crisis communications, as and when required, ensuring consistency of message and approach.
• Liaise with, and represent the Company, in external stakeholder events and programmes (Investor conferences, conference calls, roadshows).

Fintech Initiatives:

• Coordinate and manage internal and external stakeholders relating to investments in Fintech.
• For both existing and potential relationships with incubators, accelerators or Fintech, the job holder is expected to coordinate with all business units and unify it at a group level.
• Actively gather and share macro-economic data with the CFO & CEO and within the company.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelors/Masters degree with specialization in Finance.
• CPA / CIMA / CA / CFA / MBA qualification is a plus.
• Knowledge of and experience in Capital Markets / Corporate IR / Financial Media management.
• Excellent communication skills at all levels and within different mediums; English fluency is a must & Arabic is a plus.
• Ability to develop relationships both inside and outside the company.
• Ability to see bigger picture and contribute to discussions beyond the specific remit of the role.
• Proactive and organized, with the ability to work autonomously.
• Ability to multi-task and must be well organized; attention to detail; high level of accuracy.
• Ability to respond sensitively and appropriately to confidential issues and information.
• High level of accuracy, consistency and timely responses are essential.
• Flexibility to travel as and when required.
• Ideally past experience within the required sector.
• Previous communications experience would be an advantage, acquired either in-house or through a consultancy.
• Exceptional buy- and sell-side analysts will also be considered.
• Vocational certification such as Certified Practitioner of Investor Relations would be an advantage.
• An in-depth understanding of the financial and investment markets.
• Insight in GCC region (companies, macroeconomic, policies government, politics, etc)