Nancy Christal, Senior Vice President, CVS Caremark
With 23 years of experience in investor relations (12 of which has been spent at CVS Caremark), Nancy Christal is an ace in her field. Her understanding of the business,
coupled with her strong communications and interpersonal skills, have been key in securing investor confidence under adverse circumstances. For instance, when CVS and Caremark
merged in 2007, Christal orchestrated efforts to educate the investor community about the benefits of the merger. Due in part to her efforts, CVS Caremark has been named
"America's Most Shareholder Friendly Company" for the past three years by Institutional Investor magazine.
Accomplishments Galore
Christal, who holds an MBA in finance from NYU and who previously served as vice president of investor relations for Ogden Corp., has directed a number of notable efforts this
past year that further fortified her status as a leading investor relations professional. Among her recent feats: obtaining the necessary shareholder votes to complete the merger
despite a hostile takeover attempt of Caremark by a competitor; and helping to reposition CVS Caremark as a healthcare industry leader after being perceived primarily as a
pharmacy retailer.
Coping With Challenges
"Our company's constant growth and recent new business model have resulted in split analyst coverage between two sectors and changes to our shareholder base," says Christal.
"Our transformational model and new service offerings have to be communicated as they are created. So the messages are evolving all the time, and Wall Street tends to be very
impatient."
Unfortunately, this can lead to problems that involve "dealing with short sellers or other interested parties that spread false information about the company for personal gain.
"
Lessons Learned
"Expect the unexpected," advises Christal. "Be highly flexible, since each day may take several unexpected turns."
Honorable Mentions
Claire Koeneman, Co-President of Financial Relations Board and Head of the Real Estate Division, MWW Group
Even in the most dire economic times, Koeneman has worked on several high-profile IPOs, including DuPoint Fabros Technology, whose $800 million capital raise made it the single
largest IPA in the fourth quarter of 2007. She has also helped develop a new area of expertise at MWW's Financial Relations Board that offers international companies best
practices on how to make themselves "capital markets ready" for U.S. investors and key stakeholders.
Richard Ramlall, Senior Vice President, Strategic External Affairs, RCN Corp.
Thanks in part to Ramlall's leadership and actions, RCN emerged from bankruptcy as a strong competitor in the marketplace, restoring public and investor confidence. Last year,
Ramlall successfully implemented a proactive media, financial and public affairs outreach program that led to increased positive media coverage of RCN.