EP 35: Edward Westropp - Lessons and Advice from Moving to an In-House IR Role

Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast

Many IR professionals begin their careers in various corporate finance roles, such as consultancy, data analysis, or capital markets. Each of those paths into IR comes with valuable insights and unique perspectives that can set you up for success.

Before Edward Westropp, Head of IR and Communications at WE Soda Ltd, took the leap into IR, he came with bags of experience in strategy and communications. As he grew in his career, he found himself moving from a consultancy firm to an in-house position – something he was hesitant to do. However, since then, he’s found his in-house roles rewarding, challenging, and full of valuable lessons. He joins Enquire, the Investor Relations Podcast, to share his story.

Navigating the Challenges and Rewards of In-House IR

In this episode, we hear Edward’s career backstory including his time navigating consultancy roles, communicating with board members, managing strategy around IPOs, and the inner workings of corporate finance. Edward shares his tips for entry-level IR professionals including the importance of networking, as well as his strategies for managing relationships with key investors during tricky markets and business structure changes.

We talk about the challenges of measuring success in IR, marketing a company to niche investor audiences, and his thoughts on the use of AI in the field. Edward also shares the lessons learned from moving in-house and how his previous roles helped set him up for success.

In This Episode:

• Edward explains his previous roles and varied experience
• Tips for entry-level IR professionals
• What led Edward to move from a consulting role based in London to an in-house investor relations role in Geneva
• What surprised Edward about switching to an in-house role
• His experience working in-house during an IPO vs. as an external consultant
• How working on debt IR programmes differed from equity IR
• Edward’s approach to managing his time and responsibilities in a busy role
• Why Edward uses meeting notes with investors as data insights
• The role of AI in investor relations
• How IR professionals can measure success

Quotes:

“Even when it comes to outlining an annual report you can use AI to make sure you never start with a blank sheet of paper, which is quite valuable and helps with time. It'll all be totally wrong, but at least you're immediately redacting rather than starting from scratch.”

“If you are going to go in-house, go in-house at the right level and in the right place.”

“The trick is to identify your echelon. And then take them out for a coffee. No one turns a coffee down, it's a bit like dating. Just have a thick skin and just go for it. Because those people that you're engaging with now, as you all grow and get more senior, will become useful people in your network.”

Resources:

• Connect with Edward Westropp