With the growing importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, companies are realizing the need for more meaningful engagement and communication with stakeholders such as investors, suppliers, and customers.

As part of Asset Benchmark Research’s (ABR) annual evaluation of corporates in Asia-Pacific, we have sought out the best investor relations teams in the region. Though operating in different industries, leading teams evaluated by ABR have common attributes that make them stand out among their peers.

One key trait found in leading investor relations teams is their being proactive. They show a clear understanding of the wider environment in which their company operates, and they make it a point to inform investors and analysts of what impact external factors would have on their company.

Several investor relations teams, for example, provide weekly updates on the health of their company and commentaries on share performance in the face of ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns in China or rising inflationary pressures globally.  

Granting fair access to senior management is another practice observed by leading investor relations teams. Several teams shared with ABR that they have conducted hundreds of online meetings and numerous in-person one-on-one sessions with key investors. They provide a window for these stakeholders to better understand the company’s long-term strategy and the headwinds ahead. Moreover, successful investor relations teams are able to encourage senior management to showcase the company’s strengths and progress in local and international investment forums.

Of course, all these efforts would be in vain without the proper tools to amplify the message and performance of the company. In their interactions with ABR, leading investor relations teams display their ability to communicate their achievements and milestones over a broad spectrum of channels from EDMs (electronic direct mails) to microsites and social media platforms that even include TikTok.

Finally, a profound grasp of ESG is a must-have. As investors and analysts become more focused on sustainability when evaluating a company, investor relations teams should incorporate meaningful ESG-centric information into their presentations whenever they can.

This year we also are pleased to highlight for the first time sustainability-focused individuals who have driven the ESG conversation across their respective organizations and for their expertise in working with multiple internal entities in setting ambitious science-based performance targets.     

To see the full list of best investor relations teams please go here.

View the winners of best sustainability officer and teams here.

For more information about these awards please go here.

For more details about the awards event please contact celebrate@theasset.com.