In this episode of Enquire, we're joined by Peter Russell, an experienced FTSE 100 IRO at Rentokil Initial and Avast. Peter shares what he's learned throughout his career in IR, and why the role is far more human than people expect. We hear about his experience managing some of IR's toughest challenges, such as dealing with activist investors, maintaining investor confidence through leadership changes and communicating effectively during periods of share price pressure.

Peter explains why staying calm matters more than shouting louder, and how IR becomes a steady point of connection when businesses need it the most. You'll also hear Peter's thoughts on measuring success in IR, including why you need hard metrics and soft sentiment, and practical advice on everything from getting feedback from investors to presenting to the board effectively.

In This Episode

• Why Peter describes IR as "psychology with a calculator"
• The human side of investor relations that often gets overlooked
• How IR can maintain continuity and credibility during leadership transitions
• Understanding what information investors actually find useful versus treating everything as key
• Measuring success in IR: balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative sentiment
• Why the numbers tell you how much you're doing but sentiment tells you how well you are doing it
• Board communication and the power of one-pagers
• The role of AI in IR and why it remains a human business
• Career advice for anyone moving into investor relations

Quotes:

• "IR is far more human than people expect. One banker put it to me that it’s psychology with a calculator. Markets don’t move on mass; they move on belief. It’s your job as IR to keep that belief grounded, but alive enough to keep people interested.”
• "If you spend enough time inside the business with people who make it work, you can learn to tell the story, whatever the sector. I made a point of going out and talking to anyone who could explain why the company created value. Then you start to see the rhythms of the business.”
• "AI will probably give us some more capacity by taking on a lot of the heavy lifting and processing analytics. But it’s still way off from matching the judgement and nuance that comes from real conversations.”

Resources

Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

In this episode of Enquire, Clara is joined by Andrew Foster, Chairman of Corporate Broking at Morgan Stanley, to unpack how the UK’s uniquely British corporate broking model has evolved, and what that evolution means for boards, IR teams and listed companies today. Drawing on a career that spans regulation, investment banking and decades advising FTSE 100 companies, Andrew offers a clear-eyed view of what corporate brokers can and crucially cannot do in modern equity markets.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How corporate broking has changed since the “Big Bang” and MiFID
• Why sales force size and research coverage matter less than they used to
• What brokers can realistically deliver and what they can’t
• Why IR teams must own the equity story
• How to think about investor targeting and time allocation
• When and how to engage with hedge funds and short sellers
• How activism and takeover risk really develop
• What makes an effective broker and advisory line-up
• Why IR must sit at the centre of strategy
• How to align shareholders with long-term corporate objectives

Quotes:

• “The question companies should ask is not what their broker promises, but what they can actually control.”
• “IR should be absolutely front and centre in the strategic direction of the business.”
• “You want critical friends, not people who just tell you what you want to hear.”
• “Every interaction with the market should reinforce the long-term story.”

Resources:

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

In this episode of Enquire, Ross Hawley reflects on a 34-year career spanning banking, hedge funds, sustainability and senior IR roles across multiple FTSE companies. Now leading IR at Zigup plc, Ross discusses how credibility is built through judgment, clarity and a deep understanding of the business. He shares practical insights on crisis communication, capital markets days, narrative development, and why the IRO must balance facilitation with authoritative communication. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping investor behaviour, what companies must do to make disclosures machine-readable, and why authenticity and long-term thinking remain central to effective IR.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How a diverse career across banking, hedge funds and sustainability shaped Ross’s approach to IR
• What the “dual role” of the IRO really means in practice
• Why authenticity and structure define successful capital markets events
• How to communicate effectively in times of crisis
• What it takes to explain a complex business model clearly and consistently
• Practical tools for simplifying disclosure and enhancing accessibility
• How the buy side is adopting AI and what that means for corporate communication
• Why companies should avoid drafting with AI but embrace it for thinking and workflow
• Lessons from Zigup’s IR programme, rebrand and website transformation
• Advice for aspiring IR professionals and those moving from the sell side

Quotes:

• “When your CEO or CFO is in the room, you’re the quiet facilitator. When they leave, you are the representative of the company.”
• “Answer the phone. How you sound really matters.”
• “AI will help you think, but it shouldn’t write your CEO statement.”

Resources:

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn