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SMA in the News
June 2009 June 2009 June 2009 May 2009 President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid participated in a webcast panel discussion titled “Informal Corporate Disclosure in the Age of Twitter,” sponsored by McDermott Will & Emery LLP. May 2009 Senior Associate Alexia Taxiarchos hosted NIRI Boston's Knowledge and Development Series titled, "An IRO's Guide to Successful Investor Day and Roadshow Planning." During the seminar, Alexia provided tactical tips for how to successfully plan and host investor days and take management to meet investors in money centers across the country. February 2009 February 2009 February 2009 December 2008 November 2008 September 2008 President & Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid spoke on Corporate Disclosure at NIRI's Annual Introduction to Investor Relations seminar. The session focused on disclosure rules, regulations and objectives; best practices; the role of the IRO in corporate governance; providing guidance; SEC hot buttons; and communicating with the Street. September 2008 Executive Vice President & Partner David Calusdian addressed attendees at NIRI's Annual Introduction to Investor Relations seminar in Boston during a session titled, "Communicating with Wall Street." September 2008 President & Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid served on a panel at DolmatConnell & Partners' Fall Conference entitled, "Executive Compensation Challenges and Solutions." Topics discussed included trends and best practices in executive compensation, financial reporting and using the CD&A as a proactive investor relations tool. June 2008 Chairman & CEO Sharon Merrill received the prestigious Certificate of Director Education from the Corporate Directors Institute of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Sharon completed an intensive two-day Director Professionalism course, which included curriculum on current regulatory requirements, leading governance practices for board and committee effectiveness, research findings, and the experiences and recommendations of staff and NACD Blue Ribbon Commissions. Sharon Merrill Associates, in association with Raytheon Company, received the 2008 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for investor relations from the Public Relations Society of America. Since 1946, the Silver Anvil Awards have been recognizing the profession’s best in public relations strategy and implementation. May 2008 Chairman & CEO Sharon Merrill was elected to the position of Secretary of the Board of Financial Executives International, Boston Chapter. She also was re-elected to the board of the National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter. EVP & Partner David Calusdian moderated a National Investor Relations Institute e-learning seminar on managing investor relations in a volatile economic climate. President Maureen Wolff-Reid participated in two panel discussions as part of a Choate Hall & Stewart LLP seminar entitled "Street Smarts: Communication Essentials for Public Companies." The panel discusions focused on crisis communications. March 2008 Alexia Taxiarchos was appointed to the board of directors of the Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute. Alexia brings valuable international investor relations experience and perspective as well as research expertise to Sharon Merrill Associates. Previously, Alexia worked at TIM Hellas Telecommunications S.A., in Athens, Greece, as the company's investor relations research and reporting manager. February 2008 Executive Vice President David Calusdian spoke on “Writing for Investor Relations” at the Publicity Club of New England’s 2008 Writing Workshop. January 2008 President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid was quoted in an article in CFO Magazine entitled, "Conference Confidential" about investor conferences. The article appears in the January edition of the publication. October 2007 President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid spoke on "Preparing for Success: Laying the Groundwork for Your IPO" at the "Ready, Set, IPO: Deloitte & Touche Tech-Venture Center IPO Boot Camp." October 2007 Maureen Wolff-Reid was a panelist for the NIRI Virtual Chapter's webcast program entitled, "Measuring Your IR Program and IR Plan Development." Maureen focused on various ways to evaluate the success of an investor relations program. August 2007 Senior communications executive Paul J. Sagan has joined the firm as a vice president. Sagan will strengthen the firm’s strategic media relations and financial communications practice in addition to counseling clients on investor relations and transaction communications issues. Sagan returns to Sharon Merrill Associates after five years as a senior consultant at several leading New England financial media and public relations firms, where he garnered national media coverage for clients in the investment banking, asset management and corporate retirement sectors. Sagan has nearly 20 years of experience in investor relations and corporate communications, including senior communications positions at Thermo Electron Corporation, Allmerica Financial and Camp Dresser & McKee. At Thermo Electron, Sagan helped develop the IPO communications strategy for eight subsidiary companies involved in the analytical instrumentation market. At Allmerica Financial, Sagan was a member of the communications team for one on the nation's first insurance company demutualizations. His prior work at Sharon Merrill Associates included three years counseling companies and developing strategic investor relations programs for clients in the life science, high technology and industrial and capital goods sectors. July 2007 Anne Marie K. Schwartz, a former software analyst for Adams, Harkness & Hill, has joined the agency as a vice president. Before joining Sharon Merrill Associates, Schwartz served as director of investor relations for Open Text Corp. with specific focus on building the Canadian software company’s presence within the U.S. investment community. Prior to that, she spent 10 years as an equity analyst, including three years covering application and platform software for Adams, Harkness & Hill (now Canaccord Adams) in Boston and five years covering special situation healthcare and medical devices for John G. Kinnard & Co in Minneapolis. Schwartz is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute. She holds a bachelor of arts in economics from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. June 2007 April 2007 March 2007 January 2007 January 2007 October 2006 September 2006 July 2006 June 2006 April 2006 March 2006 March 2006 March 2006 February 2006
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Maureen is on the National Investor Relations Institute's board of directors. Sharon Merrill Associates provides comprehensive targeting services to companies from micro-cap firms with little following to large-cap organizations with broad shareholder bases.
April 2005 April 2005 March 2005 January 2005 January 2005 October 2004 September 2004 September 2004 September 2004 August 2004 June 2004 June 2004 May 2004 May 2004 May 2004 March 2004 September 2003 August/September 2003 August 2003 June 2003 June 2003
Maureen and members of McDermott’s Public Companies Group brought their collective experience to assist public companies in adapting their disclosure policies and practices to the new communications environment and SEC rules. This wide-ranging discussion covered informal corporate disclosure issues, including updates on best practices for compliance with Regulation FD and safe harbor statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in light of the SEC guidance; recent developments in insider trading law; and SEC guidance regarding trading plans adopted under SEC Rule 10b5-1.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid spoke on a panel entitled, "Small Cap Resources: 10 Ways to Maximize Yourself and your IR Program" at the 2007 NIRI National Conference.
Executive Vice President and Partner Jim Buckley spoke to the Public Relations Student Society of America on the latest trends in investor relations.
President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid spoke on "The Future of Investor Relations: Changes and Trends Affecting the Profession" to the St. Louis Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute.
Chairman and CEO Sharon Merrill participated in a seminar jointly sponsored by Financial Executives International (FEI) and the Boston chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute. Moderated by Alix Stuart of CFO Magazine and Mike Nikitas of NECN, the seminar addressed the topic of Corporate Ethics and Governance from legal, ethical and practical perspectives.
Sharon Merrill Associates President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid was quoted in CFO Magazine on how CFOs are managing the demand for face-to-face investor meetings.
Sharon Merrill Associates President and Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid was featured in a Financial Week article titled, "Latest Trend in Earnings Guidance: Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Sharon Merrill Associates Executive Vice President & Partner Jim Buckley was a featured speaker for the Massachusetts North Technology Council's September meeting. Jim spoke on the the latest trends in the practice of investor relations.
Sharon Merrill Associates Executive Vice President & Partner David Calusdian was elected as president of the Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute. Calusdian has served on the Chapter's board of directors for the past three years.
Sharon Merrill Associates was awarded its third-consecutive Bell Ringer Award for Investor Relations from the Publicity Club of New England. The Bell Ringer Awards honors outstanding achievements by New England-based public relations and communications professionals.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid appeared on CNBC's "Street Signs" and was quoted in a Dow Jones article on NIRI's survey on earnings guidance trends.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was announced as the new chairman of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). She has served on the organization's board of directors for the past three years. "Maureen embodies the highest standards of our profession, and NIRI is extremely fortunate to have her as its chairman," said Louis M. Thompson, Jr., president and chief executive officer of NIRI. "Maureen’s counsel on issues such as corporate disclosure, business strategy and crisis communications is highly regarded by senior executives of public and pre-IPO companies throughout the United States. Her experience in strategic planning and financial communications will be invaluable to NIRI over the next year."
Executive Vice President & Partner David Calusdian was quoted in a Boston Business Journal article on the demand for investor relations professionals in the New England area.
President & Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid moderated a NIRI e-learning panel discussion on mergers & acquisitions. The panel of experienced IROs shared tips for a successful transition of a merger or acquisition.
Chairman & CEO Sharon Merrill moderated a NIRI Boston panel discussion on board communications. The panel discussed proven methods for investor relations officers to gain visibility and credibility with their boards of directors.
Sharon Merrill Associates announced that Jim Buckley and David Calusdian have been named partners of the firm. For more information, please click on "SMA News Releases" to the left.
President & Partner Maureen Wolff-Reid moderated a NIRI Boston panel on investor relations planning. A panel of IROs discussed how they develop and implement their strategic investor relations plans.
Chairman and CEO Sharon Merrill participated on a National Association of Corporate Directors panel discussion entitled "Managing Crises: The Different Perspectives." Also on the panel was Pam Reeve, founding principal of Kairos Group and Boston University Professor Lou Ureneck. Jim Grasso, CEO of The Grasso, moderated the panel discussion.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was quoted in a CFO Magazine article about the Independent Research Network and the National Research Exchange, two organizations that serve as matchmakers between issuers and research providers.
Sharon Merrill Associates was featured in a CFO Magazine article about how companies without sell-side research coverage can enhance shareholder value with a proactive investor relations program.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian was the featured speaker at an AeA seminar entitled, "Driving Corporate Valuation with a Dynamic Investor Presentation." Calusdian offered tips to make investor presentations more dynamic and effective.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian delivered a presentation entitled, "Keeping Your Board of Directors Informed: Enhancing Corporate Governance Through Investor Relations" at a Bentley College two-day forum on corporate governance.
Maureen Wolff-Reid served as the moderator on September 13 for the National Investor Relations Institute's Introduction to Investor Relations (NIRI) seminar held at the Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Maureen is on the national board of directors of NIRI.
An article about Sharon Merrill Associates was featured in the Small Business Growth Tools section of the Boston Business Journal. The article, entitled "Beyond the Bubble: Investor relations firm bounces back after tech market crash," discussed the agency's successful growth strategy following the burst of the tech bubble.
Sharon Merrill Associates President Maureen Wolff-Reid was named as one of the "Top Ten PR Specialists in Boston" by the readers of Women's Business.
Sharon Merrill Associates Executive Vice President David Calusdian was named as President-Designate of the Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI Boston). Calusdian has served on the board of NIRI Boston for the past two years.
Sharon Merrill Associates received the 2005 Bell Ringer Award for Investor/Financial Communications from the Publicity Club of New England. At the ceremony honoring winners of the 36th Annual Bell Ringer Awards competition, SMA won top honors in the Investor/Financial Relations category for its 2004 investor relations program for LeCroy Corporation. A year ago, SMA received the Super Bell Award, which signifies best of show, and top honors in the Investor/Financial Relations category for its investor relations program for OXiGENE, Inc. at the 35th Annual Bell Ringer Awards ceremony. As the 2004 Super Bell Award winner, SMA Executive Vice President David Calusdian presented the 2005 Super Bell Award at the ceremony.
June 2005
Chief Executive Officer Sharon Merrill chaired the Financial Executives International (FEI) Board Resource Committee’s meeting, which included a panel discussion titled, “The Whys and Hows of Joining the Board of a Public or Privately Held Company.”
Executive Vice President Jim Buckley participated on a panel evaluating student team presentations on corporate valuations as part of the Strategic Corporate Investments course for Babson College's MBA program.
Chief Executive Officer Sharon Merrill chaired the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Annual Meeting of Sponsors. The group of 10 sponsoring corporations discussed its strategy and tactics for promoting good corporate governance for the upcoming year.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian was a featured speaker at an event sponsored by the Publicity Club of New England titled "Meet the PR Experts." David presented a case study of the firm's "Super Bell" winning entry from the 2004 Bell Ringer Awards. The Super Bell is presented yearly to the Best in Show at the prestigious awards held by the Publicity Club. Sharon Merrill Associates also won the Bell Ringer award for the Investor Relations category.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid moderated a National Investor Relations Institute E-Learning Forum entitled, "Best Practices in IR: Targeting the Buy-side." A panel of experts discussed such questions as, "How do I target the buy side when I have no hard news and no analyst coverage?" "Should I be spending my time meeting with hedge funds?" and "How do I maximize my relationship with our bankers to best manage the company’s shareholder base?" On the panel was Catherine Forte, associate director, investor relations, Genzyme Corporation; Andrew Kramer, director of investor relations, Interactive Data Corporation; and Pam Murphy, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, Incyte Corporation.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was quoted in a Compliance Week article entitled, "Extension of Global Settlement a 'Non-event' for Companies." The article discussed a rule change proposed by the New York Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers that would extend certain provisions in the "global settlement" to all registered brokerage firms.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian moderated a panel discussion for the Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) entitled, "Enhancing Corporate Governance Through Investor Relations Insight." The event was co-hosted by the New England Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). David is a member of the board of directors of NIRI Boston.
Sharon Merrill Associates Chairman and CEO Sharon Merrill moderated a panel discussion for the National Association of Corporate Directors New England Chapter entitled, “How Risky Is It To Be A Director Today: Do Changing Risks Equal Today's Rewards?” The panel included Roger W. Raber, president and CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors, and Joan L. Goldberg, managing director of Marsh.
An article by Executive Vice President David Calusdian titled "Delivering an Effective Corporate Presentation" appeared in Mass High Tech. David regularly conducts training sessions for executives seeking to deliver more dynamic presentations for investor conferences, board meetings and other important events.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was featured in an article in Compliance Week titled "Gap Between Earnings Releases, Quarterly Reports Narrows." The article focused on the trend toward companies distributing quarterly news releases to coincide with their 10Q filings.
An article by President Maureen Wolff-Reid titled "Investor Relations as Intelligence Link" appeared on DisclosureResource.com. To read the article, please visit the "Published Materials" section of this website.
Chairman and CEO Sharon Merrill was appointed chair of the Sponsorship Committee of the Boston Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors and as the chair of the Board Resource Committee of the Boston Chapter of Financial Executives International. In addition to serving on the baords of those two organizations, Sharon is a member of the national Steering Committee of the National Investor Relations Institute's Senior IR Roundtable.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid served as a moderator during the National Investor Relations Institute's "Intro to IR" conference held in Boston.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian was a featured speaker at a symposium held by Marsh New England titled "Managing Expectations."
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was interviewed in Compliance Week on potential changes in sell-side research resulting from the $1.4 billion indepependant research settlement.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid co-chaired the National Investor Relations Institute's annual conference held in Phoenix, Arizona. The theme of the conference was "Earning a Seat at the Table" and was attended by more than 1,500 investor relations professionals from around the world.
Sharon Merill Associates won The Publicity Club of New England's prestigious 2004 Super Bell Award and a Bell Ringer Award for its work in the field of investor relations. The 35th Annual Bell Ringer Awards honored outstanding achievement by New England-based public relations and communications professionals. SMA earned the Super Bell Award, recognizing the “Best in Show” from the 16 campaign categories, and its 11th Bell Ringer Award for its financial/investor relations campaign entry, which highlighted the agency’s work in the biotechnology industry.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was interviewed on WBIX Business Radio's program Market Wrap with Mark Mills on annual meeting and corporate governance trends.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian spoke at a symposium sponsored by Business Wire titled, “The Return of the IPO?” on the critical preparations that private companies need to make prior to going public.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid authored IR Update’s cover story entitled, “What’s up with the Analysts?” The article discussed the recent trends occurring in sell-side analyst research.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid was named chair of the Membership and Chapter Development Committee of the National Investor Relations Institute's Board of Directors. Maureen also serves on the Professional Development and Executive Committees.
Executive Vice President David Calusdian was named to the Board of Directors of the National Investor Relations Institute's (NIRI) Boston Chapter.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid moderated a three-session NIRI National seminar on investor targeting. The three sessions, entitled, "How Do Investors View Our Company?", "Who Do We Want to Own Our Company?" and "How Do We Find the Investors We Want?" provided a comprehensive look at investor targeting methods and practices.
A byline article by Sharon Merrill Associates Chairman and CEO Sharon Merrill entitled "Positioning by Capturing the Essence of Your Business to Drive Growth," was featured in the August 2003 issue of Boston Women's Business. The article discussed how to effectively position private and public companies with key audiences.
President Maureen Wolff-Reid authored a bylined article in the June 18 edition of Compliance Week entitled, "Lessons From the Floor of the NIRI Annual Conference."
Executive Vice President David C. Calusdian delivered a presentation to the NASDAQ's BBXchange Conference in Boston entitled "Building the Investor Relations Program."
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