Middle East IR Pulse launches regional insights and intelligence series

DUBAI, U.A.E, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 

• Monthly Investor Relations report and webinar series authored and hosted by:
• The Middle East Investor Relations Association
• Instinctif Partners
• Prose Solutions
• Regular guest speaker appearances by senior IR professionals from across MENA
• 74% of IR professionals say ESG has become more important to shareholders since the COVID-19 crisis began

The Middle East Investor Relations Association ("MEIRA"), in collaboration with Instinctif Partners and Prose Solutions, has launched the first report of a new intelligence series, "Middle East IR Pulse". The Pulse series aggregates insights and expertise from senior IR practitioners across MENA, with monthly reports and webinars provided to the regional IR community. Respondents represent large corporates headquartered in 8 countries, with a combined market capitalisation of more than USD 200 billion.

Each Middle East IR Pulse report, published monthly, will be supported by a webinar hosted by John Gollifer, General Manager of MEIRA, and by representatives of the Pulse's collaborating parties, George Allen, Partner at Instinctif Partners, and David Grunfeld, Managing Director of Prose Solutions. The webinars will also be attended by VIP guest speakers, with the first event – held on 28^th July – hosting Chris Wilson, Head of Investor Relations at Aldar Properties.

Commenting on the launch of the IR Pulse series, John Gollifer, General Manager of MEIRA, said: "The purpose of the Pulse is to provide monthly reports and discussions on what matters most to IR professionals – and their organisations – across MENA. By gathering insights and intelligence from our panel of experts, we aim to deliver a quick and useful snapshot of the current state of IR in the region, unlocking trends that will help drive better planning and decision making. We're very pleased to be working with Instinctif Partners and Prose Solutions on this initiative, and are immensely grateful to the IR professionals who have participated, including our guest speakers, who we look forward to hosting."

George Allen, Partner at Instinctif Partners MENA, commented: "We are excited to have launched the Pulse series in partnership with MEIRA and Prose Solutions, and we hope that members of the IR community will find the reports valuable. In our first report, a spotlight on Environmental, Social and Governance found that 74% of IR professionals see ESG issues as having become more important to management and shareholders since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, with Social issues considered the most important pillar for 48% of respondents. This is promising to see, as investors around the world build ESG metrics more deeply into their stock selection criteria, encouraging MENA issuers to respond accordingly."

David Grunfeld, Managing Director at Prose Solutions, said: "This is a new and compelling opportunity for IR intelligence sharing, and we are delighted to be collaborating with MEIRA and Instinctif Partners. Highlights from our first Pulse report showed that 50% of IR professionals believe their company is currently undervalued. This indicates a potential value gap between investors' views on companies in the region and the views those companies have of themselves, particularly in light of the impact of COVID-19 and a low oil price environment. We look forward to seeing if and how that gap changes during the second half of the year."

The Middle East IR Pulse report is available each month at: https://meira.me/ir-resources/. 

About: Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA)

The Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA or 'the Association') is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the Investor Relations (IR) profession and international standards in corporate governance. The mission of MEIRA is to enhance the reputation, efficiency and attractiveness of the Middle East capital markets.

This is delivered by fostering increased dialogue among members and encouraging the IR community to share the global benchmark in best practice within the field of IR. In partnership with stock exchanges, regulators and other market participants, MEIRA supports companies through its professional development and certification programmes as well as its membership community and network of country Chapters.

About: Instinctif Partners

Instinctif Partners is a leading international business communications consultancy with expertise across diverse practice areas: capital markets, corporate, public policy, content & creative and insight & research. It is a specialist in reputation and influence, with experience across numerous sectors. It works with clients across multiple and complex audiences combining deep insights, expert storytelling and creative delivery to change behaviours, emotions and perceptions. Instinctif Partners currently employs over 330 people in 12 offices across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The company is one of the fastest growing consultancies in its industry, and over the past two years has won or been shortlisted for over 30 awards, recognising both client work and the growth of the business as a whole. Accolades include International Agency of the Year 2018 & 2017 at the PR Week Global Awards, Outstanding Large Consultancy of the Year 2018 at the CIPR Excellence Awards, Corporate Consultancy of the Year 2017 at the EMEA SABRE Awards, and City Agency of the Year at the PRCA City and Financial Awards 2016 & 2017. Instinctif Partners also won Gold at the PR Week Best Places to Work 2018 for Large Agency, and was named by the London Stock Exchange as one of 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. www.instinctif.com

About: Prose Solutions

Founded in the UAE in 2004, Prose Solutions is the leading Middle East-founded knowledge and content development firm, providing integrated solutions to help public and private sector organizations across the region engage their audiences and tell their stories.

Prose's network of over 150 talented and experienced comms experts, writers, editors and translators drive the communications and business objectives of hundreds of clients each year across branding, digital, employee comms, marketing, PR, advertising, sustainability and more.

In the Investor Relations space, Prose Solutions provides advisory and bilingual content development solutions for Annual Reports to over 20 listed and government clients across the region each year, as well as broader investor engagement strategy and execution and a growing number of Sustainability Reports, and has helped its clients win a number of MEIRA awards over the last few years.

For more information, please visit www.prose-solutions.com or email info@prose-solutions.com. 

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