SMA News

June 2024

Sharon Merrill Advisors President David Calusdian moderated a general session panel discussion at the NIRI national conference in San Francisco. The panel was titled, “Beyond ‘Green Hushing:’ Thinking Long-term About ESG Communications,” and included a portfolio manager from a sustainability-focused asset manager, a buy sider who sees ESG actions as irrelevant or even harmful to the creation of shareholder value, and corporate sustainability and IR officers who have successfully managed through ESG communications as the field has evolved.

June 2024

Sharon Merrill Advisors President David Calusdian served as the co-chair of the National Investor Relations Institute’s 2024 annual conference in San Francisco. David will serve as the chair of NIRI’s conference in Boston in June of 2025.

May 2024

CEO Maureen Wolff and SVP Ryan Flaim were featured in Cutter’s latest issue of Amplify, offering detailed advice on how to combat anti-ESG sentiment by aligning ESG goals with corporate strategy, telling a cohesive ESG story, and proactively engaging with stakeholders.

The article, “The Antidote to Anti-ESG: Lean into Strategy, Transparency, Accountability & Performance” is available here.

March 2024

CEO Maureen Wolff was inducted into the IR Magazine Hall of Fame at IR Magazine’s annual awards. This is an exclusive alumni organization reserved only for individual winners of IR Magazine awards, including the Lifetime Achievement award, which Maureen won in 2021.

IR Magazine Hall of Fame

February 2024

President David Calusdian joined Irwin’s “Winning IR” podcast to discuss how developing your “executive presence” and speaking skills can benefit IROs and Executives alike.

Listen on Apple Music.

Listen on Spotify.

January 2024

Sharon Merrill Advisors Launches Speaker Training Offering Specifically for Investor Relations: Experts in both IR and Persuasive Speaking Train Executives and IROs to Dynamically Deliver Compelling Messages to Investors and Analysts

January 2024

Sharon Merrill Advisors Launches Uniquely Comprehensive Investor Day Offering: Investor Day Concierge^SM Provides Powerful Combination of Strategic Planning, Perception Audits, Event Management, Presentation Development and Speaker Training

November 2023

Introducing Sharon Merrill Advisors: New Name, Branding and Website Emphasize SMA’s Focus on Value Creation for Today’s Dynamic Capital Markets

October 2023

President David Calusdian presented at CFGI’s Washington D.C. CPE event. David’s session, “Effectively Communicating Your Message,” focused on investor relations messaging and the art of effective delivery.

June 2023

CEO Maureen Wolff spoke as a topic matter expert at NACD New England Chapter’s “Advanced Topics for Experienced Public Company Directors” seminar. Maureen shared her expertise in Stakeholder Engagement and other Corporate Governance matters of critical importance to boards today.

May 2023

How to Make Your Investor Day Stand Out? President David Calusdian joined a panel discussion cohosted by Notified and IR Magazine to discuss best practices for making your next investor day the signature event of your IR calendar.

April 2023

CEO Maureen Wolff moderated NACD New England Chapter’s “Stakeholder Activism & Capitalism: Latest Trends & the Role of the Board” panel discussion. Maureen shared her views on why companies should take notice of rising stakeholder activism demands, best practices in stakeholder engagement, and the risks of inaction.

March 2023

President & resident messaging expert David Calusdian presented at NIRI: The Association for Investor Relations’ “Fundamentals of IR” Seminar. David led the Corporate Messaging Development session, focusing on the processes and tools needed to create effective messaging that drives your company’s objectives.

January 2023

Year to Prepare Series Part 1: Public Company Readiness Panelists from Sharon Merrill, NYSE and Q4 discussed best practices connected to taking your company public, such as navigating current market conditions, timeline considerations, key players involved, key milestones, and content considerations.

September 2022

Sharon Merrill President David Calusdian presented at the NIRI: The Association for Investor Relations “Fundamentals of Investor Relations” seminar this week on Messaging for Investor Relations.

June 2022

President David Calusdian led the “Executing Best-in-Class Communications Workshop” at the 2022 National Investor Relations Institute Conference. The workshop attendees learned critical elements of oral communications that drive strong connections with audiences.

March 2022

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff returned as an industry expert for NACD New England Chapter’s “Aspiring Public Company Director Boot Camp.” Maureen discussed IR trends in 2021 and what’s to come in 2022, touching on topics such as ESG disclosure and investor activism.

January 2022

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff presented as part of the NACD New England Chapter’s “Proxy Season Preview – ESG is Barreling Down the Tracks.” The presentation highlighted the ever-brighter spotlight on companies’ involvement with the climate crisis, managing DEI throughout the workforce and in the boardroom, and best practices in corporate governance.

September 2021

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff moderated a session for The Big I, the invitational forum presented by NIRI. The session, “Shareholder vs Stakeholder Capitalism,” focused on the shifting relevance of engaging with all stakeholders in the current business landscape.

June 2021

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff and President David Calusdian both spoke at the 2021 Annual NIRI Conference. Maureen presented on ESG engagement and David spoke on creating a standout team of speakers to support the CEO and CFO in their investor communications.

April 2021

President David Calusdian presented at Emerson College on the topic of “Investor Relations: Sustainability in a Corporate World.” He engaged with attendees on the ever-changing dynamics of sustainability and the role investor relations professionals play in developing and sharing the narratives that surround it.

March 2021

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff presented as an investor relations industry expert for the NACD New England Chapter’s “Aspiring Public Company Director Boot Camp.”

October 2020

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff presented at Intelligize’s “Getting Social (Without the Distance): How Investors are Looking for the ‘S’ in ESG.” The presentation covered the critical nature of the Social aspect of ESG, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and public health, and dove into the increasing importance of social narratives influencing the decision-making of investors.

September 2020

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff was the expert speaker at Deloitte’s Board Ready Women 2020 New England program, in conjunction with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. She presented on the acceleration of women in board positions and the path towards corporate board membership for women.

August 2020

President David Calusdian was interviewed on the Ethical Voices podcast hosted by Mark McClennan, APR, Fellow PRSA. David spoke on Environmental, Social and Governance issues in investor relations.

July 2020

Chief Executive Officer Maureen Wolff spoke at IR Magazine’s ESG Integration Forum on “Telling Your ESG Story in a Virtual Environment.”