Co-Winner: Claire Koeneman
President of MWW Group's Financial Relations Board
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Claire Koeneman’s ability to analyze macro-economic trends months and even years in advance has helped both clients and her charges prepare for bull and bear markets alike. Despite limited transaction activity in the capital markets, Koeneman worked on several high-profile IPOs, including American Water, whose $1.25 billion capital raise made it the second largest IPO of 2008. In the last 18 months, she’s directed more than $12 billion in mergers and acquisitions activity.
Further, Claire hosted approximately 30 private real estate executives from China at a Real Estate Forum in New York, in partnership with Nanjing Cornerstone Investment Management and Tsinghua University in Beijing; fostering a greater understanding of how foreign executive can access the U.S. capital markets. —Jessica Clegg
The part of work she enjoys most: “Be it a financial transaction or breaking down one of the hundreds of new regulatory changes coming out of D.C., it still gets me jacked up to help clients convey complex financial information in a direct, comprehensive way.”
Co-Winner: Howard Ungerleider
VP of IR, Dow Chemical
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Howard Ungerleider facilitates relationships with investors based on the belief that they should be able to check for alignment between company policy and its officials’ competence, execution and ability. In response, he’s set up new access points and a new policy of openness with the press. One example: an open conference call with Dow Chemical’s C-suite execs about Q2 results that was picked up on The Street and other financial blogs.
Ungerleider has also cultivated an environment of sustainable success, with Dow being named in Dow Jones’ Sustainability Index for the 10th year running. —JC
Honorable Mentions:
Crocker Coulson, President, CCG Investor Relations
Under Crocker Coulson’s watch, CCG successfully guided over 20 clients from mainland China to list on major U.S. stock markets.
Rob Flaherty, Senior Partner and President, Ketchum
Rob Flaherty has been a vocal advocate and leader for transparency in investor relations; his statements from the World Economic Forum were picked up by hundreds of newsfeeds and blogs.