Investor Relations 101

[Tina]

Issue Date: IR Alert - July 22, 2009

NIRI's New York Chapter Calls Special Summer Session to Address Proxy Reform: Focus Is On How IROs Should Proceed
The New York Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (www.niriny.org) announced it will hold a special summer program on July 27 to discuss recent, as well as proposed, proxy reform by the SEC. In addition to the new Rule 452 (Broker Discretionary Vote being eliminated for 2010 Proxy Season) passed this month, the SEC is also proposing additional reform to be voted on later this year (access by dissident shareholders to the management ballot that is mailed to shareholders), for which the comments deadline has been set for August 17.

The July 27th program will be comprised of a panel of leaders from several industry associations and will cover both recent reform and the proposed changes. Discussion will include how these changes will impact the role of the Investor Relations professional and what steps IROs should consider to plan for the future. The panel will also share their insights as to the position that each organization is taking with regard to reform, and the concept of piecemeal change versus a complete review and overhaul of the proxy system.

The panel will include Jeffrey Morgan, president and CEO of NIRI National, Niels Holch, executive director of the Shareholder Communications Coalition, and Douglas Chia, senior counsel & assistant corporate secretary at Johnson & Johnson. The moderator will be Professor Michael Goodman, director of corporate communication international at Baruch College. This program is sponsored by Computershare and is being organized in cooperation with the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity at Baruch College.

"Due to the significance and the timing of these reforms, we felt it was important to hold a special program this summer to reflect the urgency of change that is confronting corporate issuers, " said Felise Glantz Kissell, president of NIRI-NY and senior vice president, Investor Relations and Strategy for HSN, Inc. "We are pleased to be able to assemble this panel of senior-level experts to provide members with timely information on this important issue."

NIRI-NY's May 27 program will take place at the Baruch College Conference Center, 151 E. 25th St, room 750. Registration and networking will begin at 5:30 pm, with the program beginning promptly at 6:00 pm. A networking reception will follow at 7:00 pm. There is no cost for this event, which will be open to all NIRI members (from NY and other chapters), as well as Baruch students, members of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and the Shareholder Communications Coalition. To register, send an email to http://zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu/centers/cci/events/baruch-college-niri-ny-proxy-reform-panel.