The Complete Guide to Corporate Access for IR Professionals

The power of direct management access has never been more critical—or more complex.

Corporate access remains a recurring challenge, with small- to mid-cap companies facing significant hurdles in connecting with investors. Yet for IROs who master corporate access strategy, the rewards are substantial: deeper relationships, stronger analyst coverage, and enhanced market credibility.

This guide synthesizes insights from leading IR practitioners, sell-side professionals, and buy-side experts to provide actionable strategies for corporate access success. You'll discover how to navigate the shifting landscape where conferences have become the primary vehicle for corporate access, with participation increasing by 51% since 2019, while virtual meetings have declined to just 13% of corporate access activity.

Key takeaways include:

• How to align your corporate access strategy with stakeholder motivations
• Practical frameworks for conference selection and NDR planning
• Tactics for building high-quality analyst relationships that drive coverage
• Methods for measuring and improving your corporate access effectiveness

Corporate access isn't just about scheduling meetings—it's about creating strategic connections that drive long-term shareholder value.

Meet the Experts

The insights in this guide come straight from conversations with leading IROs, executives, and industry experts on the Winning IR podcast. Each guest brings a unique perspective from their corner of the investment world, sharing practical lessons from years of building trust, managing perceptions, and telling stories that resonate.

*Responses and quotations in this article have been edited for length and clarity.

Megan McGrath

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, Cushman & Wakefield

Megan McGrath combines sell-side experience with corporate IR expertise, providing unique insights into analyst workflows and needs. Her practical approach to supporting analysts helps companies optimize their most important relationships.

Listen: Season 2, Episode 8 - Megan McGrath from Cushman & Wakefield on How to Build Better Relationships with the Sell-Side

Mary Turnbull‍

Managing Director, Corporate Access, Institutional Equity Sales at Raymond James
Mary Turnbull partners with Capital Markets, Investment Banking, and Research professionals to build and source content for Raymond James-hosted general and sector-specific conferences, summits, symposiums, non-deal roadshows, and bespoke and industry experts. Before joining Raymond James, Mary served in various research, sales, and management roles at several sell-side investment banks.

Listen: Season 2, Episode 5 - Mary Turnbull from Raymond James on Successful Corporate Access as an IRO

Elizabeth Librizzi

Chief Administrative Officer for Equities at AllianceBernstein

Elizabeth Librizzi is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for Equities at AllianceBernstein, where she leads the global team that runs corporate, external research, and expert and vendor relationships. Previously, Elizabeth was the Head of Corporate Access, US at Credit Suisse, and spent over 16 years at Morgan Stanley in various roles, including institutional equity sales, commission management sales, and as their Head of Corporate Access - North America.

Listen: Season 3, Episode 7 - Elizabeth Librizzi from AllianceBerstein on Demystifying Buy-Side Corporate Access

Zane Keller

Head of Investor Relations, Affirm

Drawing on his buy-side background, Zane Keller offers unique insights into what investors truly want from IR communications. His data-driven approach to relationship building and perception management provides practical frameworks for IR success.

Listen: Season 4, Episode 9 - Zane Keller from Affirm on The Investor's Perspective: Leveraging Buy-Side Experience in Investor Relations

Helene Dina

President and Strategy Partner, HD Strategies

Helene Dina specializes in strategic investor day planning and corporate narrative development. Her systematic approach to event planning and impact measurement helps companies maximize their most important IR opportunities.

Listen: Season 4, Episode 8 - Helene Dina from HD Strategies on Mastering Investor Days: Essential Strategies for Impactful Events

Andrew Storm

Managing Director of Investor Relations, Delta Air Lines

Andrew Storm leverages his extensive buy-side experience to bridge the gap between investor expectations and corporate communication. His focus on perception transformation and strategic relationship building offers valuable insights for challenging situations.

Listen: Season 4, Episode 3 - Andrew Storm from Delta Airlines on Shifting Investor Bias: How to Transform Perception and Attract Investment

Moira Conlon

Founder, and CEO of Financial Profiles
Moira Conlon is an influential and award-winning corporate governance and PR leader, and a frequent contributor to Forbes, CFO Magazine, and IR Magazine. Financial Profiles has a demonstrated track record of leveraging best-in-class communications practices to help its clients attract capital, talent, customers, and media attention.

Listen: Season 3, Episode 2 - Moira Conlon from Financial Profiles on Balancing Long-Term Value with Short-Term Success When Communicating With Investors

Andrea Daley

Vice President, Investor Relations, Dentsply Sirona

Andrea Daley brings over 20 years of healthcare finance experience to her IR role. Her expertise in navigating executive transitions and crisis communications provides valuable insights into maintaining stakeholder relationships during challenging periods. Her experience managing CEO and CFO departures within her first year demonstrates practical crisis management strategies.

Listen: Season 3, Episode 4 - Andrea Daley from Dentsply Sirona on Navigating IR Amidst Executive Transitions

Fabiane Goldstein

Senior Director IR at Grayling

Fabiane Goldstein brings over 20 years of financial markets experience, serving as a strategic IR reference in Latin America across all sectors and company sizes. Her expertise in helping international companies enter North American markets and her pioneering work in IR social media strategy offer unique perspectives on global investor communications and brand building.

Listen: Season 1, Episode 9 - Bridging the Gap Between IR & PR to Build Attractive Investor Brands with Fabiane Goldstein, Grayling