Series 3: Ep 2: Investor Communication: Proactive Engagement and Open Dialogue with Jeremy Thomas

Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast

Jeremy Thomas has 27 years of experience as a portfolio manager and is the Chief Investment Officer of Global Equities at Sarasin & Partners. He joins us to discuss what company IR teams and investors can do proactively to improve communication with each other. After comparing the industry challenges he faced 10 years ago to the obstacles he has to overcome now, Jeremy shares his stance on AI and why he and his company are eager to adopt the technology. We discuss the current state of the UK equity market, how Sarasin & Partners decides on who to work with, and how the IR practices in other international markets differ from the UK. We also dive into communication as our guest walks us through his meeting process, the best practices for corporate reporting, and why capital markets days are extremely valuable for cementing meaningful relationships. To close, Jeremy shares important advice for those working in IR. Listen now for all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• His thematic approach to screening companies, including Sarasin's emphasis on ESG integration, and how technology and AI is accelerating their ability to disseminate information quickly.
• The challenges Jeremy faces as an equity portfolio manager compared to a decade ago.
• The UK as a listing venue.
• Jeremy’s stance on AI.
• His assessment of the current state of the UK equity market.
• The benefits of listing a company in the UK versus in other international markets.
• How IR practice in other international markets differs from the UK.
• Best practice for corporate reporting, and why capital markets days can be extremely valuable.
• Meetings and communication between companies and investors.

Quotes:

“If I look back over my time in investing and think about the companies I got to know best, it was often the companies where I went to their premises or – factories or spent the day with them at a capital markets day. It deepens your understanding and relationship with a business.” — Jeremy Thomas [0:26:29]
“We won’t take a meeting unless we think we can get value from it and we won’t take a meeting that we don’t prepare for.” — Jeremy Thomas [0:27:50]

“If there’s a problem, don’t disguise it, don’t skip over it, don’t pretend it’s not there because it will eventually come out and it will only make it worse in the long run if we don’t have the opportunity to tackle it, there and then.” — Jeremy Thomas [0:31:13]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeremy Thomas on LinkedIn

Sarasin & Partners

Equitory